The China International Fair for Investment & Trade has been hosted for 20 years, to promote the joint development of China and the wider world. Internationalization is the fair’s continued goal.

With more than 100 countries and regions participating, the fair provides enormous business opportunities, and serves as a good indicator of the economic situation worldwide. It is also the place to examine current investment trends in order to help forecast future capital flows.

When the 19th CIFIT kicked off on Sept 8, the grand opening was attended by distinguished guests worldwide, including Li Yong, director-general of United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Zimbabwean Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, and Latvian Deputy Prime Minister and Economics Minister Arvils Aseradens.

The CIFIT examines the latest policy releases, the hottest issues for debate, and the most promising investment projects. This year’s fair will include investment-focused forums and seminars, to help bridge various different views and learn from different participant’s insights.

The International Investment Forum (IIF) will be the most valuable event of all, centering on the Belt and Road Initiative, transnational investment, start-ups and entrepreneurship, and global mergers and acquisitions. The IIF offers a platform for political figures, academics, and business leaders, to explore the solutions to new challenges in the global economy.

The fair’s longtime sponsor, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization will host an Advanced Forum on Investment in Africa during the event, with high-ranking politicians from Zimbabwe, Senegal and Ethiopia attending.

Authoritative investment information will be released, such as the Chinese version of the World Investment Report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, China's Foreign Investment Development Report 2016 from the Ministry of Commerce, and the 2016 Global M&A Report from the China Association of Private Equity.

Representatives from 50 multinational companies and organizations are invited to share their insights of global economic trends and future development opportunities, and to offer advice on how the business environment in China can be improved at the forum.

As its popularity and influence among international participants grows, the CIFIT is striving to innovate its services to attract even more participants.

In 2013, it initiated a Guest Country of Honor promotional campaign which has been popular worldwide, with South Africa, Malaysia and Bahrain taking up the honorary title in the past few years. Italy will be showing off its economic strength at this year’s fair.

The Australia-China BusinessWeek, organized by the Australian Business Forum, Australia’s largest independent organization for helping Australian businesses engage with China, will return to the CIFIT this year and bring dozens of heavy-weight political and business figures, along with high-potential investment projects to the fair.

Malaysia, a third-time participant at the fair, will occupy 40 exhibition stands to showcase the industries of food and beverages, real estate, small and medium-sized manufacturing firms, along with service and health care products, and their specialty palm products.