(Global Times) A news conference for the 19th Western China International Fair (WCIF) was held in Chengdu on June 21 by the Sichuan Provincial Government News Office.
According to Ge Xiaopeng, vice secretary-general of the Sichuan Provincial Government, the 19th WCIF will be held from June 29 to July 3 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, under the theme of a “New Era of China, New Journey for the West.” It is organized by 15 ministries and commissions including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in the west and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The Boao Forum for Asia is a supporting unit for the event.
As of June 20, many foreign political dignitaries, foreign ministerial officials, ambassadors to China, and representatives of international organizations expressed their intention to attend the WCIF. Five national ministries and commissions including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, and 27 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) will organize delegations to participate in the event, while provincial and ministerial leaders will attend related activities. Executives and business leaders from about 60 well-known Top 500 enterprises will participate in the opening ceremony. It is expected that the total number of guests and dignitaries will exceed 30,000.
More than 3,500 exhibitors will participate in this year’s WCIF. Seventeen countries including Thailand, Belarus, Chile, Australia and Pakistan will set up national pavilions. The main exhibition hall of the Western China International Expo City has set up six themed pavilions and four professional pavilions, covering over 10,000 high-quality products in industries such as cultural tourism, food and beverage, handicrafts, agricultural products, digital technology, crafts and cultural and creative products.
More than 3,900 projects have been finalized, representing a total investment of more than 8 trillion yuan. Among them, 100 investment promotion projects were selected and launched.
Yang Chuan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Sichuan International Expo Group, detailed that this year’s WCIF will extensively link municipal resources and adopt the form of a “main venue online livestreaming offline interaction among sub-venues” to extend the “exhibition event” to a “food event”, “cultural event” and “city event.” For the first time, the group launched “butler” service at the venues, to provide a more “accurate” and “careful” range services for professional customers and the public.