On April 1, 2000, China Middle East Investment and Trade Promotion Center’s predecessor, China Electronics and Machinery Products Exhibition Center, established operations in Sharjah. While it is a cooperative project between the governments of China and the UAE, the completion of China Electronics and Machinery Products Exhibition Center led to the birth of China Middle East Investment and Trade Promotion Center, Chinamex. In 2002, then Deputy Foreign Minister of China Li Wuyi visited the Middle East and  gave a prompt to China Electronics and Machinery Products Exhibition Center. Chinamex has been created under the Chinese Ministry of Commerce Overseas Management Center.

Since 2000, Chinamex has already become an important aspect of promoting the implementation of “Going Global” strategy for Chinese companies. It promotes Chinese products in trying to create an “international brand” by promoting the diversification of Chinese export markets as an important overseas window. Additionally, Chinamex has already created China’s largest overseas trade platform. It provides high-level services for Chinese and foreign companies in the specialized areas of international exhibitions, commodities trade, Chinese company and city internationalization, investment, and reciprocal trade. Thousands of Chinese companies have used Chinamex as their road to international markets. At the same time, Chinamex has expanded direct investment in iron ore, oil and petrochemicals, and other international business domains.