General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his congratulatory letter to the WCIF: “The WCIF is an important window for China’s opening up. It has created an important platform for western China to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and deepen exchange and cooperation with the rest of the world.”
Originated from the Western China Development Program, the Western China International Fair (WCIF) has been successfully held for 18 sessions since May 2000, with its permanent venue in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The previous 18 sessions of WCIF attracted a total of 1,160 times’ participation by over 100 foreign countries (regions), nearly 65,000 exhibiting companies and 550,000 guests from home and abroad to participate in the exhibition, with a cumulative exhibition area of 2.26 million square meters and witnessed the signing of investment agreements with a total of RMB 7.4 trillion, vigorously promoting the development and opening up of the western region.
Under the theme of “New Era of China, New Journey for Western China,” the 19th WCIF will be held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province from June 29 to July 3. With 15 ministries and commissions such as the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipality) in Western China, and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps as the hosts or member units, the 19th WCIF has Boao Forum for Asia as the supporter, Thailand as the Guest Country of Honor, Gansu Province as the rotating presidency, and Sichuan’s Mianyang and Ziyang cities as theme cities.
The 19th WCIF will be held in the first year of fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and a critical juncture for launching a new journey towards socialist modernization in China’s western region. In this context, we will take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress; The WCIF will uphold the principle of “co-hosting, sharing and mutual-benefits,” follow the guidelines of market-oriented operation, international expansion, and brand management, give full play to its role of “three platforms” of investment promotion, trade cooperation, and diplomatic service, and of “three carriers” for promoting cooperation within China’s western regions, between eastern and western regions, and between China and foreign countries, and further seize major opportunities including the “Belt and Road” Initiative, the development of western region in the new era, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, thus promoting high-level opening up and high-quality development in the western region and make positive contributions to accelerating the building of a new development pattern.