The 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) opens in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province on September 8, 2025. Photo: Zhang Weilan/GT

China's only major national exhibition focused on theme of investment, the 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), opened on Monday in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, once again highlighting the country's ongoing commitment to further opening-up, fostering cooperation, and sharing development opportunities with the world.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to the 25th CIFIT.

Xi noted that CIFIT, with its permanent theme of "Further expanding bilateral investment, Jointly facilitating global development," has played a positive role in promoting the building of an open world economy and has become an effective platform for global investors to deepen practical cooperation, according to Xinhua News Agency. 

Xi stressed that as a major contributor and anchor of stability for global economic growth, China will unswervingly expand high-level opening up, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, continue to share its development opportunities with the world, and inject more positive energy and certainty into global development.

China is willing to work with all parties to promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization and create a bright future of prosperity and development, Xi noted, per Xinhua. 

Organized by China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), this international event, which is taking place in Xiamen from Monday to Thursday, has attracted delegations from more than 120 countries and regions, as well as 11 international organizations, with exhibitions from 51 countries and regions, according to MOFCOM.

This year's exhibition covers a total area of 120,000 square meters and will host more than 100 investment promotion activities, aiming to serve as a flagship event for "Invest in China" and an important platform for facilitating two-way investment, according to MOFCOM.

Global presence

The event garnered active participation from government and business representatives worldwide, who saw the platform as an important opportunity to further explore the market of the world's second largest economy and expand cooperation with Chinese partners.

This year, more than 100 British companies and institutions from various industries are participating in the event.

Speaking at CIFIT, the UK Trade Commissioner for China Lewis Neal told the Global Times that his country is greatly honored to be the Guest of Honor at this year's fair, which is China's most important investment promotion event.

As one of Europe's leading investment destinations, this recognition not only reflects the increasingly close investment ties between the UK and China, but also demonstrates the UK's strong commitment to deepening economic cooperation with China, Neal said, noting that during the event, the UK will host business forums and dialogues with multiple Chinese provinces to strengthen interprovincial cooperation.

CIFIT 2025 provides Chinese investors with a platform to connect directly with UK businesses, Neal said, noting that it is a rare opportunity to highlight the UK's importance as a trade partner for China.

CIFIT is also an occasion for American businesses to expand their presence in China, their major trading partner.

Harley Seyedin, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, told the Global Times on Monday that the American Chamber of Commerce in South China has attended CIFIT for more than 20 years, and each year its delegation is one of the largest in attendance.

This year, the American delegation has brought more than 50 companies. These companies are involved in just about every type of activity possible, including consumer products, AI, new technology development, and research and development, the Global Times learned from the chamber.

"We will continue to attend CIFIT, simply because this event represents every province and autonomous region in China at the highest possible level... We have meetings with many provinces and it helps us discover new opportunities that are available in China, and helps us invest," Seyedin said.

Renee Wang, Executive Vice President, ZF Group, President of ZF China and Operation Asia Pacific, told the Global Times on Monday that the German company is honored to participate in this year's CIFIT, which serves as a critical barometer for China's continued commitment to high-level opening-up and international cooperation.

Wang noted that their participation is a reflection of the company's long-term confidence in China's role as a vital engine for global growth and innovation.

Over the past five years, ZF China has invested nearly 12 billion yuan in plants, production equipment, and particularly in digitalization and automation. "We believe the investment opportunities in the Chinese market are not only vast but are also continuously evolving towards higher quality," Wang said, noting their confidence in the Chinese economy's long-term fundamentals remains unwavering.

The event also drew strong interest from representatives of neighboring developing countries, such as Nepal, which are eager to explore cooperation by leveraging China's economic and industrial strengths.

Nepal brings to this year's CIFIT a set of projects and opportunities that reflect our national priorities and our long-term partnership with China ranging from energy to tourism and connectivity and digital economy, Sushil Gyewali, CEO of the Investment Board of Nepal, a government body focused on promoting investment, told the Global Times at CIFIT on Monday.

"Nepal welcomes Chinese investors in priority areas such as energy, digital economy, tourism, and agriculture… We also aim to create frameworks that encourage two-way trade, not only Chinese exports to Nepal but also Nepalese exports to China," said Gyewali, noting that investment and technology transfer from China will be crucial for Nepal to overcome transitional challenges and achieve its 2030 development vision.

Strength in openness

Amid a complex international environment, China is creating greater investment opportunities through openness and steady development, serving not only as an attractive destination for foreign investors but also as an important player in global outbound investment.

On the sidelines of CIFIT, MOFCOM, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange jointly released the 2024 statistical bulletin of China's outbound foreign direct investment, providing a comprehensive overview of the global investment activities of the world's second largest economy over the past year.

China's outbound investment scale continues to rank among the world's top, with its share of global flows rising by 0.5 percentage points. In 2024, China's outbound foreign direct investment totaled $192.2 billion, up 8.4 percent year-on-year, accounting for 11.9 percent of global flows, according to the bulletin.

China has ranked among the top three globally for 13 consecutive years and maintained a share exceeding 10 percent of global flows for nine consecutive years, the bulletin said.

Regarding the current global headwinds posed by rising protectionism, Gyewali highlighted that regional cooperation is more important than ever. In South Asia and beyond, collaboration rather than competition is the way forward, he said at the fair in Xiamen, noting that stronger regional partnerships will enhance resilience against global uncertainties and deliver tangible benefits to people.