China's Ministry of Commerce holds a promotion conference for the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Beijing on May 13, 2026. Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) held a promotion conference in Beijing on Wednesday for the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), sending another positive signal of the country's ongoing commitment to expanding high-standard opening-up and further stabilizing foreign investment and inflows.

This year's CIFIT, which is scheduled to be held in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province from September 8 to 11, will focus on the theme of "expanding two-way investment and promoting global development," highlighting three major sections — "Investment in China," "China's Investment," and "International Investment" — and promoting more practical outcomes in international investment cooperation, an official from the ministry's department of foreign investment administration said at the meeting.

Attending the promotion event, government and business representatives from multiple countries expressed expectations of using CIFIT to deepen investment cooperation with China.

Commenting the sectors that Canadian businesses like to invest more in China this year, David Perez-Des Rosiers, chief representative of the Canada China Business Council Beijing, told the Global Times that there are quite many.

"Following Canadian Prime Minister's visit to China, have identified several sectors for collaboration either in investments or trade," said Perez-Des Rosiers, giving examples of energy, wood products, consumer goods, and agri-food.

The upcoming CIFIT will be a good occasion to learn more about the new opportunities for Canadian businesses to invest in the Chinese market.

"We do believe that CIFIT will be a great platform for Canadian companies that would like to be there to learn more about investing in China, but also to promote investment opportunities in Canada. So overall, it's a great momentum for Canada and China to explore more opportunities," Perez-Des Rosiers said.

In addition to continued foreign interest in "Investment in China," "China's Investment" has also become a focus of attention. 

Natig Khalilov, chief adviser of the Office of the Trade Representative at the Embassy of Azerbaijan to China, said that they plan to participate in the CIFIT this year, as they attach great importance to this platform. Last year, Azerbaijan sent a relatively large delegation to the event and held related activities during the fair. 

"Through such platforms, we hope to identify new partners and attract more outstanding Chinese companies to develop in Azerbaijan and establish manufacturing bases there," Khalilov said.

For example, Chinese carmaker BYD has partnered with two local Azerbaijani companies to establish an electric bus manufacturing plant. "Going forward, we also hope to cooperate with more EV manufacturers and advance additional projects of this kind," he said.

This type of investment cooperation is two-way. Last year, the Azerbaijan State Oil Fund also attended CIFIT, and "we hope to find suitable investment projects in China as well," Khalilov said, noting that Azerbaijan's sovereign wealth fund has already made some indirect financial investments in the Chinese economy, and if appropriate opportunities arise, "we are also willing to invest directly in China."

As an important window connecting China with global markets, CIFIT is also regarded by many countries as a key platform for expanding regional cooperation. 

Ambassador of Mauritius to China Gaetan Siew Hew Sam told the Global Times at Wednesday's event that Mauritius is playing a bridging role connecting China and African markets. Currently, Chinese companies including Bank of China have already established regional operations in the country. With China's recent expansion of its zero-tariff treatment to cover all African countries with which it has diplomatic ties, Mauritius hopes to leverage its strengths in finance, logistics, and regional services to further promote trade and investment connectivity between African countries and the Chinese market, the envoy said.

Against the backdrop of ongoing uncertainties in global trade, China's efforts for further opening-up drew strong attention from the international business community. According to the data from the MOFCOM, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China's cumulative utilized foreign investment exceeded $750 billion, and its outbound investment has reached 190 countries and regions worldwide.

In recent years, China has continuously shortened its negative list for foreign investment access, removed all market access restrictions for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector, and vowed to steadily expand its pilot opening-up programs in areas including value-added telecommunications and biotechnology.

An official from the MOFCOM said that CIFIT will continue to use exhibitions, forums, and project matchmaking activities to help global investors better understand new opportunities in the Chinese market and promote mutually beneficial outcomes through open cooperation.