KINGSTON, Jamaica—Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith is set to represent Jamaica at the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, to be held from September 8 to 11 in Xiamen, China.

The investment fair serves as a major international platform for investment promotion and commercial cooperation.

This year’s staging will bring together hundreds of high-level representatives from governments, businesses, financial institutions and investment promotion agencies, with a focus on international investment cooperation, cross-border promotion and business match-making.

“With representatives and participants from over 123 countries, this International Fair presents important opportunities for small island developing states like Jamaica. We commend the Government of China and their multilateral partners for convening this excellent forum and thank them for the invitation,” Johnson Smith said in a statement on Monday.

“Jamaica will seek to deepen commercial relationships, identify new potential markets, expand the reach of our exporters and to promote Jamaica as a destination for investment that delivers tangible value for our businesses and our economy,” she continued.

The investment fair is being hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce, along with six international organisations as co-hosts: the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA).

The ministry’s participation forms part of Jamaica’s wider economic diplomacy agenda, through which high-level international engagement is used to support the country’s growth and development objectives. Direct access to government and business leaders can help create openings for Jamaican goods and services providers, bring Jamaica’s investment prospects to the attention of potential partners and strengthen relationships that trade and investment agencies can pursue beyond the fair.

The foreign minister will also speak at the 8th Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum, which will focus on international cooperation in maritime connectivity, ports, shipping, logistics and trade.

The forum will provide an opportunity for Jamaica to showcase its progress in port expansion, logistics and maritime development to a global audience, including prospective investors.