Strive To Build The World’s Most Influential Service Trade Event – The Highlights Of The 2023 China International Fair For Trade in Services

The China International Fair for Trade in Services 2023, with the theme of “Opening Up leads development, Win-win Cooperation for the future”, will be held in Beijing from September 2 to 6. On August 21, The State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the development of China’s service trade and the progress of preparations for the 2023 Services Trade Fair.

At present, the service sector and service trade have become the focus of a new round of high-level opening-up. Since its inception, the Service Trade Fair has attracted more than 600,000 exhibitors from 196 countries and regions. It is an important platform for China to expand opening-up, deepen cooperation and lead innovation.

On August 21, The State Council Information Office held a press conference in Beijing, inviting Assistant Minister of Commerce Chen Chunjiang, Deputy Mayor of the Beijing Municipal People’s Government Sima Hong, Director-General of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce Wang Dongtang and Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce Ding Yong to introduce the development of China’s service trade and the progress of the preparations for the 2023 Services Trade Fair and answer questions from journalists. Photo by Pan Xu/Xinhua News Agency

“In the face of a complex and severe external environment, China’s service trade has shown strong resilience and maintained rapid growth.” Assistant Minister of Commerce Chen Chunjiang introduced that in 2022, China’s total import and export of services reached nearly 6 trillion yuan, an increase of 12.9% year-on-year, and the scale reached a record high, ranking second in the world for the ninth consecutive year. In the first half of this year, the quality and competitiveness of China’s trade in services were further improved.

“We will continue to enhance and optimize the functions of the three platforms of the FTC, strive to build the FTC into the world’s most influential service trade event, and inject new impetus into the development of the world economy.” Chen Chunjiang said.

This year, the Services Trade Council will play a prominent role in three aspects

First, build consensus and work together to open up trade in services at a high level. In the core part of the comprehensive exhibition, the outstanding achievements made in the expansion of opening-up of China’s service industry and the innovative development of service trade since the 18th National Congress of the Party will be integrated for the first time, and the Global Summit on service trade will continue to be held at a high standard, and more than 200 forum meetings will be held at a high level.

Second, we need to continue to deepen practical cooperation on trade in services for win-win results. It will focus on international cooperation and offline activities, and will hold a special conference to promote the opening up of the service industry in the Year of Invest in China for the first time, and hold a signing ceremony of the Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships.

Third, digital guidance to jointly activate the innovation momentum of trade in services. It will further highlight the leading role of scientific and technological innovation, model innovation and business innovation, and the comprehensive exhibition and nine special exhibitions will focus on the display of chip technology, quantum measurement and control, satellite remote sensing, artificial intelligence, digital medical and other specialized and special achievements.

According to reports, this year’s service trade fair is still “one and two sites”, held in the National Convention Center and Shougang Park area, and the National Stadium is opened in the National Convention Center area. Among them, the comprehensive exhibition is located in the National Convention Center, and the special exhibition is located in the Shougang Park and the National Stadium. The public can obtain public free tickets through five official channels, including the official website of the Service Trade Association, the official website of the mobile terminal, the Service Trade Association APP, the wechat public account, and the mini program.

Highlight internationalization, authority, specialization —

“This year’s Service Trade Fair will increase the intensity of offline invitations, highlight internationalization, authority and specialization, and further promote the exchange and negotiation of exhibition merchants, mutually beneficial cooperation and mutual benefit.” Beijing deputy mayor Sima Hong said.

Highlight internationalization. The UK, the guest of honor of this year’s Service Trade Fair, has set up the largest exhibition group since the exhibition. Fifty-one countries and 24 international organizations will hold exhibitions in the name of national governments or headquarters. As of August 20, more than 2,200 enterprises participated in the offline exhibition, more than 500 of the world’s top 500 and industry leading enterprises, covering 28 of the top 30 countries and regions in service trade, and the overall internationalization rate exceeded 20%.

Highlight authority. Among the various forum meetings, 66 will be held by international organizations, embassies in China, overseas institutions and relevant ministries and commissions of the state, during which more than 100 authoritative information such as China’s service trade development report and World Tourism City Development report will be released, more than 70 enterprises and institutions will participate in the release of results, of which more than 60 will launch new technologies and new products.

Highlight specialization. Set up exhibitors federation, establish cooperation with more than 70 institutions, organize enterprises to participate in the procurement. Organize investment promotion activities, accurately match supply and demand, trade matching and other services, and turn exhibitors into investors. Up to now, nearly 5,000 enterprises have participated in the online exhibition, and more than 12,000 professional visitors have been invited to attend.

Accelerate the introduction of policies and measures related to trade in services

Chen Chunjiang said that in the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant departments to accelerate the introduction of policies and measures related to trade in services.

First, we need to open up more widely. We will take the initiative to align high-standard international economic and trade rules and steadily promote the opening up of trade in services. We will promote the introduction of the national version and the pilot Free trade zone version of the negative list for cross-border trade in services, and initially form an institutional system for the gradient opening of China’s cross-border trade in services.

Second, we need to innovate the development mechanism. We will build a platform for innovative development of trade in services at a high level, and upgrade the development of national demonstration zones for innovative development of trade in services on the basis of comprehensively deepening trials for innovative development of trade in services. We will build high-standard service outsourcing demonstration cities, further promote the upgrading and expansion of export bases for specialized services, foster new forms and models of service trade in more areas, and create new growth points for service exports.

Third, we will improve the environment for development. We will promote the issuance of a policy document on the opening up, innovation and development of trade in services, and further improve and optimize policies and measures that meet the characteristics and needs of the development of trade in services. We will continue to promote the entry into force and implementation of the outcomes of the WTO negotiations on domestic regulations on trade in services in China, and further optimize the business environment.