The three-day 16th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF) & Exhibition, which ends today, aims to foster global infrastructure development together, its co-organisers said yesterday.
The formal opening ceremony of the forum and fair was held yesterday morning in Hall D of The Venetian Macao Cotai Expo, even though it had got off the ground on Tuesday
The forum has brought together over 3,500 participants, including nearly 70 officials on the vice-ministerial level and above from more than 70 countries and regions, as well as prominent leaders from the political and business sectors in global infrastructure development, according to the event’s official website – www.iiicf.org.
The opening ceremony was attended by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, Liaison Office Director Zheng Xincong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce Yan Dong, Foreign Ministry Commissioner Liu Xianfa, Secretary for Economy and Finance Anton Tai Kin Ip, Vice Governor of Hainan Province Gu Gang, Vice Governor of Yunnan Province Liu Yong and Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province Yang Yue, as well as dozens of guests and participants from various countries and regions.
Tai noted in a speech during the ceremony that the forum has attracted leading global industry chain enterprises and international contractors, establishing itself as a key platform for advancing infrastructure cooperation.
The forum has not only facilitated international infrastructure connectivity but also bolstered the internationalisation and specialisation of Macau’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industry, Tai said.
The policy secretary also pointed out that this year’s theme “Enhanced Connectivity for Win-Win Cooperation” focuses on innovative fields such as smart construction and digital intelligence technologies to showcase cutting-edge industry trends.
Vice Commerce Minister Yan delivered a speech by video link, saying that the IIICF serves as an important platform for promoting global infrastructure cooperation. Last year, China’s overseas contracted projects achieved a turnover exceeding US$160 billion, maintaining a growth rate of over 3,0 percent year-on-year, while newly signed contracts reached a record high of US$267.3 billion.
The three-day event features over 250 thematic and supporting activities, with about 85 exhibitors in the exhibition area, 250 international contractors, leading companies in the industrial chain, and enterprises from Macau and Hengqin, according to statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS).
The event aims to enhance the functions of the Greater Bay Area’s “four platforms” elevate China’s infrastructure cooperation with the global community to new heights, and play a significant role in advancing infrastructure connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the GCS statement underlined.
According to Guangzhou-based Namfang Daily, the four platforms comprise Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha and Hetao* (an area in Shenzhen’s Futian District), i.e., the four demonstration zones of the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
*Its full name is Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone – DeepSeek
Secretary for Economy and Finance Anton Tai Kin Ip delivers a speech during the formal opening ceremony of the 16th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF) & Exhibition in Hall D of The Venetian Macao Cotai Expo yesterday morning. – Photo: GCS
