Xiamen - a major port city in Fujian province - is inviting Hong Kong investors to participate in the 19th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), which will have a strong focus on the Belt and Road Initiative.

 
The annual four-day event, to be held in Xiamen from Sept 8 to 11, is one of the largest and most influential investment platforms in the world, aimed at facilitating bilateral investment.

 
This year's fair focuses on the national strategy of the Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road - a project that has attracted great international attention since it was mooted by President Xi Jinping in 2014.

 
"We have set up a special exhibition area to emphasize and promote the investment opportunities in countries along the Silk Road," said Ni Chao, deputy mayor of the Xiamen city government, at a promotional symposium in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

 
In addition, various thematic forums and seminars will be held during the fair to discuss investment strategy in the Silk Road countries and regions.

 
She said Xiamen's express rail, which went into operation in August last year, linking the port city with Poland, provides Xiamen a distinct geographical advantage as a crucial point linking the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road.

 
This year's CIFIT will be the biggest organized so far, with a total of 6,000 exhibition booths taking up an area of 138,000 square meters. The event's organizing committee aims to draw between 4,500 and 5,000 participants from 60 countries and regions.

 
Francis Ho, associate director-general of InvestHK - the SAR government's trade promotion agency - said Hong Kong is the largest source of overseas direct investment on the Chinese mainland, and Hong Kong investors are increasingly interested in investing across the border.

 
He urged Hong Kong enterprises to make their presence felt at this year's CIFIT to enable them to explore new investment opportunities.

 
According to Hong Kong government statistics, nearly 45 percent of overseas-funded projects approved by the mainland as of late last year had Hong Kong interests.

 
At the same time, the mainland's cumulative utilized capital inflow from Hong Kong reached $832.3 billion, accounting for 50.8 percent of the nation's total.