The 2nd World Investment Forum (WIF), seeking to offer insights on the balance between investment and sustainable development, kicked off Tuesday in the coastal city of Xiamen of southeastern Fujian Province.

With the theme of "Investment for Sustainable Development", the current forum, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), have attracted more than 1,500 oversease investors, policymakers and international organization representatives.

Among the attendants to the forum are World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy, prime ministers from Zimbabwe and Mongolia, and presidents from Bulgaria, Peru, Ghana and Jamaica.

The high-profile attendance "demonstrates the importance that international investment has gained as an engine of growth and development," UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi said at the opening ceremony of the forum.

According to Supachai, the three-day forum will examine the challenges and opportunities for global investment in a post-crisis economy.

Supachai urged "a new generation of investment policies" to promote the transformation towards a low carbon economy.

The forum will include a series of conferences on topics such as the impact of investment on sustainable development, how stock exchanges can promote sustainable business practices and the need for a recognised set of principles for borrowers and lenders that promotes sustainable debt and credit conditions.

Also included are a ministerial round table meeting that will address investment policy coherence in the post-crisis environment and presentations from several countries showcasing climate change-related investment projects.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the ongoing opening ceremony of the 2nd World Investment Forum, which is sponsored by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).