The accelerated development of an economic zone on the western side of the Taiwan Straits is tipped to be the main topic of conversation at this year's China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT). The trade fair will be held in Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province that looks out across the Straits towards Taiwan.

The event opens on September 8 and is said to be the largest international investment event ever to be hosted in China. Aside from developments with the economic zone, the four day event will also attract global attention as delegates wrangle with the still pervasive issue of the worldwide financial crisis - with many hoping to find solutions to their fiscal ills during their visit to the southeastern province in China.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing just two months to go before the event, Chen Jian, vice-minister of commerce and deputy director-general of the organizing committee of the 13th CIFIT, underlined the importance of the proposed new economic zone.