The Qingyang district of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has introduced outside investment worth more than 5 billion yuan ($740 million) during the 16th West China International Fair.

As one of the major events of the 12-day fair which will end on November 14, the signing ceremony for the introduction of 11 projects valued at more than 5 billion yuan was held on Friday afternoon.

The projects involve commerce, trade, internet tourism, financial services and energy, according to Ye Shuwei, an information officer with the Qingyang district government.

Investors said they chose the district because of its geographical advantages, easy access and efficient government service.

Located in the center of Chengdu, Qingyang is the city's political, economic and cultural center. It is also the city's central business district and is giving priority to the development of the service sector.

The Western China International Fair, a state-level international exposition, has drawn delegates from 88 countries and regions and nearly 9,000 enterprises from home and abroad.

Debuting in the year 2000 as part of the central government's "Go West" strategy, the fair picked Chengdu as its permanent site.

In March last year, the event was listed as one of the 10 major national exhibitions (conventions) to facilitate the Belt and Road Initiative formulated by President Xi Jinping in 2013.

The Belt and Road Initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The Belt and Road connects 64 countries and 4.5 billion people in the world.