Participants in the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services from the Czech Republic negotiate with representatives from an enterprise in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. (People's Daily/Li Yan)

The 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) concluded on Sept. 14 at Beijing's Shougang Park. Centered on the theme "Embrace Intelligent Technologies, Empower Trade in Services," this year's event spotlighted transformative trends including service sector digitalization, intelligent transformation, and green development.

The fair yielded over 900 tangible outcomes across sectors including construction, information technology, and finance. Exhibitors and international participants emphasized that trade in services is playing an increasingly important role in global trade. They noted CIFTIS has further expanded the international cooperation network in this field.

As China continues to open up its services market, the country is poised to accelerate the upgrading of trade in services, injecting renewed momentum into economic globalization.

This year's edition attracted participation from more than 80 countries and international organizations, including representatives from over 20 of the world's top 30 economies in service trade economies. International exhibitors accounted for over 20% of total participants.

At the Latvian pavilion, Latvian Ambassador to China Karlis Eihenbaums promoted his nation's cultural and tourism products. He noted that Latvia attaches great importance to CIFTIS, stating his nation aims to enhance brand recognition in the Chinese market and lay the groundwork for future cooperation in tourism and related fields.

Aswad, CEO of a Pakistani company, just reached a new deal at the event. "CIFTIS enables Pakistani enterprises to explore business opportunities and enhance their global visibility," he stated. "With China's digital industries advancing rapidly, we anticipate deeper collaboration with Chinese partners in this sector."

"This is our first time attending CIFTIS, and we have gained a great deal," said Arlindo Do Rosario, the Cape Verdean ambassador to China. With next year marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Cape Verde and China, he said his country looks forward to using platforms such as CIFTIS to present its unique products and cultural resources to Chinese consumers, thereby strengthening bilateral economic and cultural ties.

Luz Maria de la Mora, director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), noted that China's continued opening of its service market and efforts to advance liberalization and regulation in the sector not only create new opportunities for China itself but also enable the world to benefit from China's innovation, enterprises, and services. "This is a win-win outcome," he said.

The rise of digital intelligence is opening new horizons for global trade in services. This year's fair featured nine themed exhibition areas, thousands of companies, and nearly 100 forums, showcasing the accelerated pace of digital innovation and green development in diverse ways.

Johnson & Johnson, the U.S.-based multinational healthcare corporation, showcased a portfolio of world-leading innovations. Zhou Mintao, president of the company's Medical Technologies China Region, said the far-reaching influence of CIFTIS provides multinational healthcare companies with full-cycle support from innovation and implementation to promotion. It has fostered a collaborative ecosystem that brings together enterprises, universities, research institutions, and the application end, enabling high-quality medical resources worldwide to be better aligned with China's clinical needs.

At a zero-carbon park solutions hall, Czech company Beistar CZ showcased its patented thermal storage technology. Company representative Ji?í Jirmákov said, "China has made remarkable progress in advancing green and low-carbon development. We began cooperating with Chinese tech firms in 2014. With CIFTIS, we hope to further expand our partnerships and take a deeper role in China's sustainable development."

Cai Wei, director of KPMG China Advisory, observed, "CIFTIS convenes cutting-edge research and innovations from global enterprises. It serves as a testing ground where new technologies and business models align with international standards, enabling companies worldwide to identify commercial applications and accelerate industrialization."

This year's fair also released several authoritative reports, including a 2025 global inclusive development trends report on trade in services, a 2024 China trade in services development report, a 2025 report on digital trade development and cooperation, and a 2025 China trade in services development index report. These reports put forward recommendations to promote inclusive global development in trade in services. They show that China's trade in services is shifting from traditional areas toward high value-added sectors, and that China's further opening in this field is injecting vitality into global growth.

"As the world's second-largest consumer market and a major innovation hub, China is profoundly reshaping global consumption and trade patterns with its continued opening up," said Zhu Xiaolan, chair of the Trade Service Member Advisory Council under the World Trade Centers Association. She stressed that China is not only expanding market access but also advancing sustainable cooperation by aligning rules and building capacity. By jointly developing rules and sharing experience, China ensures that the dividends of opening up are shared by more countries.

From landmark deals to policy breakthroughs, CIFTIS exemplifies China's commitment to elevated openness. Through expanded service imports, full implementation of cross-border service trade negative lists, export promotion policies, and deepened international cooperation, China is collaborating with global partners to share opportunities and foster inclusive development.