The Philippines participated in the recently concluded 20th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) held from 07 to 11 September 2018 in Xiamen City.
The exhibition area covering 130,000 square meters housed 6,000 investment and tourism pavilions in 16 special exhibition areas, such as modern service industries, and cross-border e-commerce and emerging industries from over 800 commercial associations and 4,000 companies representing more than 110 different countries and regions, over 300 of which are international organizations, Fortune 500 companies and other international companies.
More than 120,000 businessmen were estimated to have participated in the event which included international investment forums, trade exhibitions business match-making and investment and trade policies discussions on local and international investments, particularly across the Taiwan Strait and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Philippine participants were led by Philippine Permanent Representative to the WTO in Geneva, H.E. Ambassador Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, and Consul General Julius Caesar A. Flores.
The 2018 CIFIT was declared officially opened by Mr. Cao Jianming, Vice Chairman, Standing Committee of National People’s Congress of China and witnessed by more than 100 VIP guests and more than 1,000 local and foreign visitors and members of the media.
Vice Chairman Cao read the message from President Xi Jinping which congratulated the CIFIT organizers for the successful launching of the event. President Xi’s message underscored that China will continue to lead and promote multilateralism in the current global trading.
The Philippines had four booths representing the Department of Trade and Industry – Board of Investment (DTI-BOI), Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Excellent Quality Goods Supply (EQGS) from Davao City and the Puerto Princesa City Tourism Council (PPCTC).
Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III led a 31-member delegation of Cebu government officials and the business sector headed by Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Consul Antonio Chiu that attended and participated in the Cebu-Fujian Business and Tourism Cooperation Seminar, a side event of the 2018 CIFIT and co-organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce Inc. (CCCI) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
The Seminar was highlighted with the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Maritime Silk Road Bilateral Cooperation between the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and the Xiamen Chamber of International Commerce (COIC-Xiamen), and the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Xiamen Tyko Group.
Both agreements aim to strengthen partnership between Cebu and Fujian provinces in the fields of business and tourism as well as increase people-to-people contacts between the Philippines and China leading up to the subsequent formalization of its provincial partnership.
For more information, visit www.dfa.gov.ph, www.facebook.com/dfaphl, and @dfaphl on Twitter. END
