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Preview of the 2025 CIFTIS: Key Highlights Revealed in Advance

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CIFTIS

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 August 2025 – The Shougang Park, a former industrial site transformed into an “urban showcase,” will welcome the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (2025 CIFTIS) this September. The annual theme of this year’s event is “Embrace Intelligent Technologies, Empower Trade in Services,” with over 800 companies already expressing interest in participating offline.

With less than a month remaining before the opening of CIFTIS, how are preparations progressing, and what new highlights can be expected from the exhibitions? Reporters conducted on-site visits for a closer look.

More Open: New Entry Policies to Facilitate International Engagement

It was learned that exhibitor recruitment for both the thematic and specialized exhibitions has been largely completed. Nearly 70 countries and international organizations have indicated their intention to participate by setting up booths or hosting events. The nine major specialized exhibitions have attracted interest from more than 800 companies to exhibit offline, including over 330 Fortune Global 500 companies and leading industry enterprises. The overall internationalization rate of the exhibition exceeds 20%, covering 24 of the top 30 countries and regions in global service trade.

Yang Huasen, Spokesperson of Beichen Group, stated that over 170 forums, conferences, and promotional events have already been scheduled. More than 70 companies, including Schneider Electric, have applied to release over 130 new products and achievements during the event.

To further facilitate international engagement, this year’s CIFTIS continues to expand on entry facilitation measures initiated last year, such as setting up immigration service counters at the venue. This year, seven new convenience measures will be implemented, including: allowing foreign participants with official invitations to apply for port visas at Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport; offering online accommodation registration services for foreign visitors; and streamlining the business travel filing process for Chinese enterprises attending events in Hong Kong and Macau.

Australia, as the guest of honor country, will have an unprecedented exhibition scale at this year’s event. Nearly 60 institutions and enterprises will form the Australian National Pavilion. Daniela Assis, the Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Australian Embassy in China, expressed: “The bilateral trade relationship between Australia and China is marked by strong complementarity, with stable cultural ties and significant achievements in cooperation across various fields. Australia is honored to be the guest of honor at the 2025 CIFTIS and looks forward to more communication and exchanges with attendees and visitors.”

Dale Pinto, the Global President and Chairman of the Board of CPA Australia, remarked, “CIFTIS provides a platform for us to enhance our brand recognition, engage with other organizations, and explore new cooperation opportunities. Participation in the fair not only raises the visibility of CPA Australia but also strengthens our relationship with Chinese partners, laying a solid foundation for future development.”

More Focused: From “Two Venues” to “One Unified Venue”

In contrast to previous CIFTIS events, which were held at both the National Convention Center and Shougang Park, this year’s event will be held entirely at Shougang Park in Shijingshan District, Beijing. Since CIFTIS moved to Shougang Park in 2021, the venue has fostered a new ecosystem for integrated consumption across culture, business, sports, tourism, and entertainment, covering the full spectrum of “eat, stay, travel, shop, and enjoy.”

Jiang Nan, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group Co., Ltd., explained that Shougang Park will fully host CIFTIS activities this year. The core exhibition area will exceed 100,000 square meters, with green spaces and public areas also open to the public. These spaces are designed to foster human-to-human and human-to-scene interactions, enhancing the overall attendee experience. “We are upgrading Shougang Park to version 5.0 for the fair, planning a convention town, and creating a new exhibition ecosystem by integrating the ‘Two Parks and One River’.”

In addition to optimizing and upgrading the spatial layout, Shougang Park has also introduced a double-decker sightseeing bus and enhanced the night view framework of “Two Axes—Two Zones—Two Lakes—Multiple Centers.” Scenic viewpoints will be established to meet the quick transfer and sightseeing needs of visitors. The Shougang Park Operations Service Center has integrated data on foot traffic, vehicle flow, and other aspects of the exhibition area, enabling centralized scheduling and further improving service quality.

Hu Hao, Deputy District Governor of Shijingshan District, explained that the district has fully coordinated local resources, driving improvements with a dual approach of technology and services. Focus is being placed on key areas such as transportation, accommodation, and dining to enhance support capabilities. “There are currently 72 specialty restaurants around Shougang Park. During CIFTIS, temporary commercial facilities will be added in areas like Gaoxian Park and the Ski Jump site to meet the diverse dining needs of attendees.”

More Integrated: Multi-faceted Integration of Culture, Business, Tourism, and Sports Creates Diverse Consumption Scenarios

Beijing is also leveraging the CIFTIS platform to create diverse service consumption scenarios. Wan Weiwei, Deputy Director of the Beijing International Trade in Services Affairs Center, noted: “By emphasizing interactive experiences, CIFTIS will integrate service consumption with culture, business, and tourism, using unique venues such as blast furnaces to host engaging activities.”

Lin Zengwei, Second-Level Inspector at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, added that over 40 supporting events will be held across Beijing, including cultural tourism and sports activities. At the heart of this is Shougang Park, which will host 11 unique activities, such as events at Big Air Shougang, to further enrich sectors like “ticket-stub economy” and “night economy.”

During CIFTIS, business negotiations, exploring the history of the Beijing West Ancient Path, and enjoying the Olympic spirit at Big Air Shougang… The “Big Air Shougang—Moshikou Camel Caravan Road—Shougang Industrial Heritage” Themed Tourism Route in Western Beijing is being planned to integrate culture, tourism, and consumption. During the event, Beijing will organize business inspection tours for exhibitors and visitors, focusing on areas such as technological empowerment, investment promotion, industrial tourism, cultural heritage, and the night economy. Around 10 business inspection routes will be designed and launched.

To strengthen the interconnection between CIFTIS and the surrounding areas, Shijingshan District will also open a special driverless transport service, connecting the exhibition area with the Yongding River waterfront. This initiative is part of a broader effort to connect the fair with surrounding cultural and ecological attractions. Projects like the Xishan Yongding River Cultural Belt Greenway in Shijingshan will be showcased before the fair opens, providing an enhanced visitor experience and easier access to cultural and natural attractions.

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Nigeria’s Upstream Reform Program Captures 40% of Africa’s Final Investment Decision (FID) Activity After a Decade on the Margins

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A government three-year review documents how executive action under President Tinubu reversed a decade of upstream decline

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –Nigeria has gone from capturing 4% of Africa’s upstream final investment decisions (FIDs) to commanding 40% in two years, according to Nigeria’s Energy Sector Reforms 2023-2026: A Three-Year Review, published by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and spearheaded by Special Adviser Olu Verheijen. The $50 billion project pipeline now in development beyond 2026 points to sustained capital commitment at a scale not seen in the Nigerian upstream for at least a decade.

 

Between 2014 and 2023, Nigeria was among the continent’s weakest performers for upstream FIDs despite holding 37.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the second-largest endowment in Africa. Algeria captured 44% of African upstream FIDs during that period, Angola held 26%, while Nigeria trailed Mozambique, Ghana, Senegal and Namibia. In the third quarter of 2022, crude production briefly dropped below one million barrels per day, as years of underinvestment, pipeline vandalism and regulatory ambiguity compounded each other. However, reforms instituted by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu have dramatically turned this trend around. Through deliberate and coordinated steps, the government has reset the trajectory.

Addressing Fiscal Terms, Regulatory Scope and Contracting Speed

President Bola Tinubu’s administration moved simultaneously on fiscal terms and regulatory architecture. Policy directives in 2023 clarified the boundary of jurisdiction between the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), resolving an ambiguity that had complicated project sanctioning. Presidential Directive 40 introduced targeted tax incentives, and a separate Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Production in 2024 was designed to draw international oil companies (IOCs) back into capital-intensive, long-cycle deepwater projects. The VAT Modification Order 2024 and Upstream Cost Efficiency Order 2025 addressed the cost structures that had rendered marginal projects uneconomic. NNPCL contracting timelines were compressed from 36 months to a maximum of six months.

Four Divestments Transferred Onshore Control to Indigenous Operators

In parallel, the administration deployed targeted security directives and accelerated ministerial consents for four IOC asset transfers. Renaissance acquired Shell’s onshore portfolio. Seplat Energy completed its acquisition of ExxonMobil’s Nigerian upstream interests. Oando took over from Agip, and Chappal acquired Equinor’s local assets. The four transactions totaled approximately $4 billion. The transfer of onshore and shallow-water blocks to indigenous operators contributed directly to production recovery. Output rose by approximately 400,000 barrels per day between 2023 and 2025 to reach 1.6 million barrels per day, the highest onshore production level in 20 years.

When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds

Signed Projects Total $10 Billion, With a $50 Billion Pipeline Beyond

The reforms produced a concrete FID response from Shell and TotalEnergies. Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) sanctioned the $5 billion Bonga North deepwater development in December 2024 and committed a further $2 billion to the HI Non-Associated Gas (NAG) project. TotalEnergies and NNPCL took a joint FID on the $550 million Ubeta gas field development in June 2024.

Together those three commitments account for more than $10 billion in signed investment after a decade of near-zero sanctioning activity. The pipeline beyond 2026 spans a further $50 billion across 11 projects including Bonga South West, Owowo, Usan and Erha. Nigeria approved 28 field development plans valued at $18.2 billion in 2025 alone, targeting an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of reserves.

“When a government rebuilds fiscal competitiveness and regulatory predictability at the same time, capital responds,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Nigeria has done both, and the FID numbers are concrete proof.”

The Counterfactual Illustrates How Much Was at Stake

The presentation includes a no-reform projection that puts the gains in context. Without intervention, total crude and condensate production was on track to fall from 1.371 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022 to 579,000 by 2030. Under the reform trajectory, output reached 1.77 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026, with a stated government target of 3 million barrels per day. Export gas utilization rose 39% over the same period, while domestic utilization grew by 7%.

The durability of these gains will be tested by two factors: whether the institutional architecture put in place under the Tinubu administration holds over the long term, and whether the deepwater commitments signed in 2024 and 2025 advance to execution on schedule. The project pipeline is large enough that partial delivery would still represent a generational shift in Nigeria’s upstream output profile.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Angola Strengthens Global Investment Drive Across Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources

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With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 8, 2026/APO Group/ –At a defining moment in Angola’s economic transformation, the Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG) (https://CMAGAfrica.com), together with the Government of Angola and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas of the Republic of Angola (MIREMPET), will convene global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders in London for the Angola Oil, Gas & Mining Investment Conference on 14 May 2026.

 

More than a conference, this gathering represents a strategic international engagement at a time when Angola is actively reshaping its economic future and positioning itself as one of Africa’s most compelling destinations for long-term investment in natural resources, infrastructure, and industrial development.

With sweeping reforms across the extractive sector, Angola is entering a new phase defined by transparency, regulatory modernisation, value addition, and international partnership. The country’s leadership is sending a clear message to global markets: Angola is open for investment and ready to build transformational partnerships that support sustainable growth and economic diversification.

This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future

The event will be headlined by H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, Minister for Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola, whose leadership since 2017 has been central to advancing Angola’s mineral and hydrocarbons agenda. Under his stewardship, Angola has accelerated institutional reform, strengthened governance frameworks, promoted private sector participation, and prioritised sustainable resource development.

As global demand intensifies for critical minerals, energy security, and resilient supply chains, Angola is uniquely positioned to become a strategic partner to international investors and industrial economies. The country’s vast untapped mineral wealth, significant oil and gas reserves, expanding infrastructure ambitions, and commitment to economic diversification present a rare investment window for global stakeholders.

Speaking ahead of the event, Veronica Bolton Smith, CEO of the Critical Minerals Africa Group said:

“Angola stands at a pivotal point in its national development. The reforms taking place across the country’s extractive sectors are creating unprecedented opportunities for responsible international investment and strategic partnership. This is not simply about resource development, it is about building long-term industrial growth, strengthening energy and mineral supply chains, and shaping Angola’s future as a globally competitive investment destination. We believe this moment represents one of the most important opportunities for international partners to engage with Angola’s leadership and participate in the country’s next chapter of economic transformation.”

The event is expected to attract a distinguished international audience, including sovereign representatives, institutional investors, mining and energy executives, infrastructure developers, development finance institutions, and strategic partners seeking direct engagement with Angola’s leadership.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG).

 

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The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Successfully Concludes Private Sector Roadshow in Baku

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Bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, the Forum showcased IsDB Group services, activities, and initiatives across its 57 member countries, with particular emphasis on Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) affiliates (www.IsDB.org) – namely the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) – in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank Group Business Forum (THIQAH), organized the “IsDB Group Private Sector Roadshow” in Baku, Azerbaijan, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO).

 

The high-profile event which took place on Thursday, 7th May 2026, at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy, came as part of ongoing preparations for the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings and Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026), scheduled to take place from 16 to 19 June 2026, under the high patronage of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

 

Bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, the Forum showcased IsDB Group services, activities, and initiatives across its 57 member countries, with particular emphasis on Azerbaijan. It highlighted the Group’s ongoing support for private sector development and its efforts to stimulate promising investment and trade opportunities in the Azerbaijani market.

 

The event also served as a unique opportunity inviting the audience to participate actively in IsDB Group Annual Meetings and the Private Sector Forum (PSF 2026). The program included panel discussions and specialized workshops on ways to enhance economic partnerships and the role of IsDB Group’s institutions in supporting the needs of member countries. The spectra of services, solutions and financial tools were also presented, including lines and modes of Islamic financing, trade finance and trade development solutions, corporate private sector financing, as well as risk mitigation solutions plus investment insurance and export credit insurance services.

 

Keynote speakers, in their speeches, underlined strong commitment to deepening engagement with the private sector and fostering meaningful partnerships that drive sustainable economic growth in light of the upcoming IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Baku, all to showcase integrated solutions especially in Islamic finance, trade, investment, and risk mitigation while working closely and collectively with private sector partners to unlock new opportunities, support innovation, and empower businesses contributing to inclusive and resilient development across IsDB Group member countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

 

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