New head to attend fair

Mukhisa Kituyi, the newly inaugurated secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, has chosen China as the destination for his first official trip. He will be attending the 17th China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen, Fujian province.Kituyi, 57, will attend the 2013 International Investment Forum, part of the CIFIT, on Sunday and give a speech. The theme for the investment forum is "Global Value Chain Remodeling and Innovative Development".

WTCA to send delegation

A delegation of more than 90 representatives from 26 World Trade Centers throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and China will attend this year's CIFIT. The delegation will be led by Ghazi Abu Nahl, chairman of the World Trade Centers Association, and Eric Dahl, CEO of the association. A special exhibition hall will be established for the association, and the fair is also hosting the second World Trade Centers Association China Forum.

Strong US turnout expected

More than 80 delegations from the United States are set to attend the 17th CIFIT in Xiamen, according to the fair's official website. Among the US delegations, there will be 81 from government authorities, business associations, embassies and consulates as well as enterprises. The American Chamber of Commerce China has confirmed its participation in the 17th CIFIT, and the chamber will also bring with it representatives from its offices in Shanghai and South China. About 60 American enterprises, including renowned names like General Electric, Ford, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Motorola, eBay and IBM, will also send representatives to the expo.

CIFIT ad runs in Times Square

A video ad for the 17th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, which will take place in Xiamen from Sunday to Wednesday, has been airing in New York's Times Square since Aug 22. The ad is set to be shown for 20 days, 120 times a day, and it includes details about the upcoming CIFIT, with the aim of expanding its brand influence and attracting more investors to attend. The screen airing the ad is located on the second floor of building No 1 on Times Square, near the Nasdaq Tower.

'Ambassadors' promote tourism

Four "Tourist Ambassadors" from Xiamen landed in Paris on Friday, two days ahead of the CIFIT in a bid to attract more French tourists to visit Xiamen and Fujian province. At an introductory session, the four showed locals pictures of Xiamen and Fujian, and introduced them to local cultures of the coastal province in southeastern China. Huang Xiuyun, deputy manager of Xiamen's Jianfa Tourist Agency and one of the four "ambassadors", said Xiamen is still little known despite of being one of the top ten tourist destinations in China.

China Daily

(China Daily USA 09/12/2013 page15)