XIAMEN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) opened Monday in the city of Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, attracting visitors from over 120 countries and regions.

Focusing on three major areas -- "Invest in China," "Chinese investment" and "International investment" -- the four-day event includes more than 100 investment-themed activities and features Britain as the guest country of honor.

Britain's 400-square-meter national pavilion, themed "Invest in GREAT," highlights key sectors such as financial and professional services, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, clean energy, and creative industries.

Lewis Neal, British Trade Commissioner for China, told Xinhua that Britain sent its largest-ever business delegation to the fair, comprising over 100 companies from across the country.

Neal added that they saw CIFIT as a major opportunity for Britain to promote the sectors driving growth, as outlined in the country's modern industrial strategy.

Expressing confidence in China's economic outlook, he said, "China is the world's second largest economy and is anticipated to grow strongly. We are optimistic about the ability for British businesses to come and grow in China."

The 2025 CIFIT will include a symposium with multinational corporations, dialogues between leading private enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, and more than 30 special investment promotion activities, presenting the vitality and opportunities of "investing in China" in a comprehensive and multi-dimensional manner.

Morten Wierod, CEO of ABB Group, attended the fair's opening ceremony and took part in key sessions with government officials and representatives from multinational companies.

"I'm pleased to return to Xiamen and experience CIFIT for the first time. This event provides an open platform for global collaboration, connecting governments, businesses, and investors to promote growth," Wierod said.

According to Wierod, ABB's localization journey began in Xiamen, where it established its first joint venture in 1992. Today, Xiamen has grown into ABB's largest manufacturing hub and innovation center for the electrification business in China.

Wierod noted that China is an important market for ABB and a key R&D and manufacturing base. "We will continue to invest in this important market, strengthening our R&D capability and providing innovative products to help our customers become more productive, efficient and sustainable."

A delegation of 50 companies from the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China) is at the 2025 CIFIT.

"Most of the companies are large multinational companies, concerned with pharmaceuticals, personal care and consumer products. Our companies are very interested in finding new opportunities," said Harley Seyedin, chairman and president of AmCham South China, adding that they had an average of more than 2 billion U.S. dollars in new contracts signed at CIFIT every year over the past 20 years.

According to Seyedin, China remains an attractive investment destination.

"Our findings show that China continues to hold a dominant position in global investment priorities, with 39 percent of the companies studied ranking it as their top investment destination. Additionally, 58 percent of foreign companies and 45 percent of American companies consider China as the top three spots in their global investment plans," he said. "China represents an area where we want to invest, where we want to benefit from, and where we want to contribute to the growth of China itself," Seyedin added.

Statistics released by China's Ministry of Commerce showed that from January to June 2025, 30,014 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in China, an increase of 11.7 percent year on year. Among them, the actual use of foreign capital in high-tech industries reached 127.87 billion yuan.

Nan Li Collins, director of the Division on Investment and Enterprise at UN Trade and Development, said that China has the world's largest single market, making it highly attractive to global investors. She added that China has enjoyed long-term stable growth, supported by numerous government policies favorable to investors.

"China is a global manufacturing base with a very complete industrial chain. China has an efficient logistics system, a sufficient reserve of skilled workers and mature supporting capabilities, which enable foreign-funded enterprises to rely on China's supply chain to achieve 'local production and global supply,' reduce operating costs and improve efficiency," Collins said.

First launched in 1997, the CIFIT, organized by the Ministry of Commerce, has become an important platform for boosting investment and facilitating global development.