1,400 enterprises from 50 countries, the UK as the guest of honour, 150,000 square metres of exhibition space, and the first-ever “Chongqing Investment Opportunity List”

As reported by CCTV+, AI-driven manufacturing took centre stage at the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade. The event concluded on Sunday in Chongqing, a major industrial hub in southwestern China.

Western China is rapidly transforming its traditional industrial base into a centre for digital innovation and intelligent manufacturing. This transformation was fully showcased at the fair.

In one of the most striking demonstrations, industrial robots and humanoid machines worked seamlessly together, performing precise spot welding on automotive parts.

Liu Hongwei, a solution manager at Dexforce (Chongqing) Technology, explained: “Through 3D visual guidance, the industrial robot accurately identifies, locates and picks up workpieces, transferring them to the spot-welding station. This can significantly improve the efficiency of the entire production line.”

This high-tech demonstration reflects a broader transformation taking place in Chongqing. Local authorities are identifying manufacturers’ specific AI needs and directly connecting them with technology service providers.

Yang Mingyuan, director of the advanced industries department of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, noted: “Holding events like this under the ‘AI plus manufacturing’ concept allows more manufacturing enterprises to keep pace with AI development. They can adapt these technologies to their specific needs, driving upgrades through intelligent and digital transformation.”

More than 200 major projects were signed at the fair. The total exhibition area was 150,000 square metres. The event attracted about 1,400 enterprises from 50 countries and regions. The United Kingdom was the guest of honour.

Peter Burnett, Executive Director of the China-Britain Business Council, said: “Chongqing has seen significant investment, and the government strongly supports the development of this new, advanced manufacturing sector. We are seeing huge added value from technology, and specifically from AI. The level of interest is quite high, reflecting people’s understanding that Chongqing and western China as a whole offer new opportunities for growth.”

The fair also saw the first release of a catalogue — the “Chongqing Investment Opportunity List”. The list includes 277 cooperation projects and highlights Chongqing’s opportunities in advanced manufacturing, green and low-carbon development, and the digital economy.

Chongqing used to be a city of factories. Now it is becoming a city of algorithms. Industrial robots weld car bodies, humanoid machines synchronise their movements, and AI controls the process. 200 projects signed, 1,400 companies, 50 countries. Britain as the guest of honour. Western China is no longer the periphery. It is the centre. The question is not whether Chongqing can become a new Shenzhen. The question is how quickly other cities will understand that the future belongs to those who connect machine tools with algorithms. While they are thinking, Chongqing is already working. On two hands. And on a hundred sensors.