Nine economic and trade projects valued at 11.87 billion yuan ($1.67 billion) were signed between seven districts and counties in Chongqing and Taiwan during the opening ceremony of the 16th Chongqing-Taiwan Week, which kicked off in Chongqing's Nan'an district on Tuesday morning.

The event, themed "Sharing New Opportunities, Seeking New Development Together", is scheduled to run from Monday to Friday.

According to the Taiwan Affairs Office in Chongqing, the week will feature 18 sub-events covering important activities, economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges, grassroots interactions and youth exchanges.

On Tuesday afternoon, more than 120 experts, scholars and business representatives from the cross-Strait telecommunications industry attended a seminar on cross-Strait information and communication cooperation development.

The event was co-hosted by the Chongqing Municipal government and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and was supported by the Cross-Strait CEO Summit.

"Chongqing has deep historical ties with Taiwan, and exchanges and interactions are becoming increasingly close," said Chongqing Mayor Hu Henghua during the opening ceremony.

Last year, 86 new Taiwan-funded enterprises were established in the municipality, with the trade volume between Chongqing and Taiwan reaching 47.69 billion yuan.

From January to July this year, the number of tourists from Taiwan visiting Chongqing increased by 3.4 times. The trade volume between Chongqing and Taiwan increased by 16.9 percent, and the number of Taiwan-funded enterprises in Chongqing increased to about 2,200.

Since its inception in 2009, the Chongqing-Taiwan Week has evolved into a multifaceted cross-Strait exchange platform, serving as a pivotal conduit for fostering economic and trade collaborations between Chongqing and Taiwan.