CHENGDU, China, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore becomes the Guest Country of Honor (GCH) at the 18th Western China International Fair (WCIF), which took place in Chengdu, Sichuan from September 16-20, under the theme of "New Era of China, New Opportunities for Western China". The event is expected to attract over 50,000 exhibitors and visitors from 66 countries and regions, who were present at the fair on site or online. Since its inauguration in 2000, the WCIF has been successfully held 17 times. Over the past 17 sessions, a total of 12,000 investment agreements have been signed, and the accumulated exhibition areas have exceeded 2 million square meters, with more than 60,000 exhibitors. Therefore, WCF has acted as a strong economic engine to boost the high quality development in western China.
Singapore is the first Southeast Asian country to be the GCH at the WCIF. This indicates that Sichuan Province attaches great importance to internationalization and highlights the province's intention for exploring cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. This also demonstrates the profound friendship between Singapore and Sichuan Province.
At the Opening Ceremony of the 18th WCIF, Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower & Second Minister for Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore was entrusted by the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to deliver a video speech, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Lui Tuck Yew, Singapore's ambassador to China, led a delegation to attend the fair. On September 17, the representative of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore addressed the Western China International Forum on Digital Economy Application and Cooperation 2021. On the same day, Singapore and Sichuan co-hosted the 22nd Singapore-Sichuan Trade and Investment Committee (SSTIC) meeting, which was held via video-teleconference.
Singapore has been paying close attention to the development of western China. SSTIC, one of the earliest economic and trade committees established between Singapore and Chinese provinces, was set up in Chengdu, and Singapore-Sichuan Hi-Tech Innovation Park is among the most significant achievements. Going forward, Singapore is expected to deepen cooperation and exchanges with Chengdu and Chongqing in the fields of high-tech and higher education.
