Summary
The 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) closed on 11 September after running in Xiamen, Fujian, from 8 to 11 September 2026, drawing a record global turnout. More than 1,200 government agencies and business delegations from 129 countries and regions took part, alongside 30 international organisations. Forty-eight of the world's top 50 economies by GDP sent representatives.
Total attendance topped 100,000, with both the number of participating countries and regions and the number of delegations setting record highs. For the first time, the fair appointed two guest countries of honour — Finland and Saudi Arabia — and two guest provinces, Guangdong and Qinghai. Finland brought 42 companies and institutions, among them KONE, UPM and Nokia.
Saudi Arabia sent 186 institutions, including Saudi Aramco, SABIC and the Public Investment Fund. CIFIT hosted 46 themed events and 52 project roadshows, among them a multinational investment trends launch, an RCEP trade and investment matchmaking session and a dialogue on industrial and supply chain cooperation. Eighteen further events ran alongside, including the International Investment Forum and the Gulangyu Forum.
The financial exhibition area expanded to 25,000 square metres, with 140 institutions exhibiting. A dedicated zone for the Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) attracted 74 global systemically important banks and leading regional banks from 46 countries and regions across six continents. The fair focused on artificial intelligence and the low-altitude economy, and set up an international cooperation zone for new quality productive forces and specialised and innovative SMEs, showcasing robotics, smart equipment and industrial large models.
A Green China zone was also established. CIFIT moved to the Xiamen International Expo Centre for the first time, with exhibition space expanding from 120,000 square metres to 200,000 square metres. Its digital platform hosted 968 virtual booths and displayed more than 4,700 projects, completing over 19,000 online matchmaking sessions.
Twenty-eight authoritative reports were released, including the 2026 China Two-Way Investment Report.
Commentary
The 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) closed with 129 countries and regions taking part, Finland and Saudi Arabia installed as dual guest countries of honour, and an expanded financial exhibition area and CIPS zone. The signals it sends reach well beyond a regional trade show. As China's only national-level platform built around two-way investment, CIFIT has for 26 consecutive years served as a bellwether for global capital flows into China.
This year's record figures suggest multinationals are not systematically retreating in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. They are rebalancing. For New Zealand's small and medium-sized business owners, at least two angles are worth pursuing.
The first is supply chain reconfiguration under RCEP, which is accelerating. New Zealand's exports to China are dominated by primary products — dairy, meat, logs and kiwifruit. Most categories have been duty-free since the upgraded NZ-China free trade agreement, yet many firms have still to use RCEP's cumulative rules of origin to fold Australian or ASEAN intermediate inputs into their products and reach third markets.
CIFIT's RCEP trade and investment matchmaking session, alongside more than 4,700 projects and 19,000-plus online matchmaking sessions on its digital platform, offers a low-cost route to identifying distributors and joint-venture partners in China's tier-two and tier-three cities. For small NZ firms, it helps close the budget gap that keeps them from exhibiting in person. The second is the global expansion of the CIPS cross-border payment system, which carries direct commercial weight for settlement efficiency.
The participation of 74 global systemically important banks in the CIPS zone shows the renminbi clearing network's international nodes are multiplying. For NZ exporters selling to small and mid-sized Chinese importers, bypassing US dollar intermediary banks — where the buyer prefers renminbi settlement — can strip 1 percent to 3 percent per transaction out of foreign exchange and handling costs. The gain is most pronounced on high-frequency, low-value orders.
At the same time, Finland and Saudi Arabia each brought heavyweight corporate contingents in automation and energy. Their expansion in China may squeeze some engineering services and Middle East energy procurement channels, but it will also release demand for clean technology, specialist consulting and sustainable supply chain management — areas where NZ firms hold differentiated strengths. The fair's focus on artificial intelligence, the low-altitude economy and green technology aligns closely with China's current industrial policy.
New Zealand's precision agriculture sensors, pasture carbon accounting software and food-grade automation solutions have latent export scenarios, though data compliance and technical standards will need to be worked through with local Chinese partners.
Keywords: CIFIT, Xiamen, China International Fair for Investment and Trade, two-way investment, guest countries of honour, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Cross-border Interbank Payment System, low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence
Source: Xiamen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office (English Website)
Disclaimer: This article is compiled from publicly available sources for general information only. The analysis and commentary are editorial opinions. MiDeer Observer does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. Readers should seek independent professional advice before relying on this content, or contact us for more information.
