The five-day 17th Western China International Fair kicked off in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Thursday.

With the theme "New era in China, new advances in western China", the fair has drawn more than 60,000 domestic and overseas businesspeople.

The fair debuted in 2000 as part of the central government's "Go West" strategy, and has chosen Chengdu as its permanent site.

From 2000 to 2017, the fair attracted 55,800 domestic and overseas firms as participants and saw more than 6 trillion yuan ($870 billion) worth of signed investment agreements, organizers said.

In March 2015, the fair gained inclusion in the central government's white book on the Belt and Road Initiative and became one of the country's 10 fairs promoting BRI construction,said Sichuan governor Yin Li.