A preliminary exchange event for the 19th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), which opened on Sept 8 and will run until Sept 11, was held in Xiamen, Fujian province on Sept 7.

Over 1000 representatives from industries and governments of different countries and regions, got involved in the event and took part in discussions around the topic of opportunities stemming from the One Belt One Road Initiative.

Jackson Chang, president of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute; Irene Lau, executive commissioner of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute; Liu Changlin, vice-governor of Jiangxi province; Paolo Quattrocchi, trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Commission’s Guangzhou office; and Han Jingyi, director of Xiamen Finance Bureau; all attended the event.

Macao has kept close relationships with Portuguese-speaking countries, including Portugal, Brazil, and East Timor, Chang said; and the returning Chinese expatriates and their relatives account for one-tenth of the population in Macau. It will be worth the effort trying to take advantage of these highly-skilled individuals to not only introduce new talent to Macao, but also in helping Macau and mainland businesses reach global markets.  

Lau set out the investment environment of Macao at the event, and said that Macau would push the exhibition industry as a new commercial sector.

The 19th CIFIT focuses on China’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) and presents rich investment opportunities for companies wishing to be part of China’s vision of the next five years. Macao is the Guest Region of Honor at the fair and has been assigned a 6,000-square-meter exhibition space to house its exhibition, “Dynamic Macao.” The event aims to showcase Macao’s global image and introduce the city’s economic development, trading ties with Portuguese-speaking countries, cultural and hospitality industries, along with its tourist attractions.