China Services Trade Fair Showcases Innovation, Promotes Openness
China has hosted the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, marking its commitment to further opening up its services trade sector during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). The fair, taking place from September 9 to 13 at Shougang Park, features participants from 90 countries, regions, and international organizations, with over 1,800 companies on display.
Key Highlights:
- Global Focus: This year’s theme, "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," highlights the fair’s international reach. 473 Fortune Global 500 firms and industry leaders from Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson, and Siemens are among the participants.
- Innovative Showcase: The core exhibition area displays over 140 innovation cases across 12 services trade categories, including AI, large language models, and intelligent agents, providing a glimpse into China’s future service sector.
- Strong Growth: China’s services trade has witnessed rapid growth, with exports of knowledge-intensive services supported by its strong intellectual property (IP) and innovation ecosystem, as noted by World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Daren Tang in his video address to the Global Trade in Services Summit co-hosted within the fair.
- Plan for Future: The 15th Five-Year Plan emphasizes advancing high-quality development of services trade through optimizing negative list management, easing cross-border restrictions, encouraging service exports, and fostering knowledge-intensive services.
Statistics:
In the first seven months of 2026, China’s services trade reached nearly 4.45 trillion Yuan (approx. $656.6 billion), marking an 8.3% year-on-year increase.
