Deals and connections cemented and forged

Record high achievements at 24th CIFIT. [Photo/China Daily]

The 24th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, or CIFIT, concluded in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Wednesday, with a slew of investment deals and project agreements achieved.

Over the course of four days, the trade fair offered an exhibition space of 120,000 square meters and organized a diverse range of activities, from conferences and promotions to capital and project matchmaking events. These facilitation efforts won praise from officials and exhibitors at home and abroad.

"Namibia has been coming to the CIFIT for the past few years. It is a perfect opportunity for us to explain and to tell people about Namibia. This year we have our own booth," said Freddie Gaoseb, commercial counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Namibia.

"We are trying to highlight Namibia as an investment location and also as a trade location for Chinese businesses to come to Africa," Gaoseb said.

At the just concluded Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Namibia once again became the only African country allowed to export lamb and goat meat to China, Gaoseb noted. "This year's CIFIT has provided us with another opportunity to showcase our agricultural products and also encourage increased Chinese investments in Namibian mining and energy sectors."

Janos Suga, commercial director at Market Epito Zrt, a Hungarian general contracting company, said: "This is the first time I have attended the CIFIT. It's been a great positive surprise to me. I've been to many fairs in the world. This is a great event. It is very well organized."

The company demonstrated a series of services during the exhibition, such as assisting Chinese enterprises in investing in and cooperating with Hungary, providing services ranging from factory design to obtaining usage permits. They can also help investors establish a local sales network and public procurement channels in Hungary.

"It's been a great opportunity for us (to participate in the fair) because we are working with more Chinese companies in Hungary," Suga said.

"China is a leader in lots of new technologies, such as electric vehicles, utility vehicles, and others," Suga said. "We have lots of goals and these are being fulfilled during this visit."

In addition to exhibitions, the fair has provided a platform for a series of forums and conferences for the exchange of perspectives and insights.

"The CIFIT is a broad platform for us to make friends and connections for cooperation. What particularly caught my attention at this fair is that it is mainly centered around green initiatives," said Han Huiqing, deputy general manager of ALBA China Recycling Solutions.

"During my participation in various activities at the fair, all were related to green themes. On such a platform, we have the opportunity to share our strategies for further investment layout in China with relevant local governments and partners, enabling us to have more opportunities to participate in China's comprehensive green transformation and share in its development," Han said.