China Energy Investment Corporation has hit a new record in purchase category and purchase amount during the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE), said the company on Saturday.

The company, also known as China Energy, has signed with 40 companies from 18 countries and regions for contracts worth $2.5 billion (17.9 billion yuan) during the fifth CIIE, up 38 percent compared with the previous expo, with purchasing categories covering high quality coal, high-end equipment, and spare parts of key materials, it said.

This is the fifth year that the company has participated in the CIIE, with an accumulated purchase amount reaching up to $7.2 billion, it said.

The company's purchase amount sees an average annual growth of more than 20 percent, reflecting the company's new trend of high quality development, said Wang Shumin, deputy director of the corporation.