The Ministry of Commerce and the government of Central China's Hubei province held an investment promotional event targeted at exhibitors of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, on March 18.

Themed "To boost dual circulation by introducing more foreign investment", the event focused on key industries in Hubei, including health and wellness, consumer retail, automotive and equipment manufacturing, modern agriculture, food production, and services. A total of 116 exhibitors, investment promotion agencies, and multinational companies participated, with 80 of them being Fortune Global 500 companies or industry leaders. Over 300 local businesses from Hubei also engaged in business matchmaking.

The CIIE in Hubei, a thematic promotional event for the expo, is held in Wuhan, Hubei, on March 18. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

During the event, Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce, delivered a speech highlighting Hubei's strategic location and unique development advantages. He hoped the event would help showcase the province's investment environment and growth opportunities and encourage deeper engagement from CIIE exhibitors and multinational companies in Hubei's open development.

Tang emphasized that the Ministry of Commerce has been leveraging the spillover effects of the CIIE to create a series of local events. According to him, these activities aim to highlight the vitality and openness of central and western China and boost investment in the region. Tang said that the Ministry will focus on strengthening investment attraction, easing market access, and improving the business environment to build a high-level platform for foreign investment, continually promoting the "Invest in China" brand.

The event also included meetings between government officials and company representatives, thematic presentations, industry-specific matchmaking sessions, and site visits. During these visits, exhibitors and multinational companies were guided to various cities in Hubei, including Wuhan, Xiangyang, Yichang, Jingzhou, Jingmen, and Ezhou, to explore local industry setups and discover potential collaboration opportunities.

Representatives from enterprises share insights during the event. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

The industry-specific matchmaking session is part of the event. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

By Zhao Guangmei