The 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) concluded in Beijing on Sunday with over 900 signed agreements across sectors including construction, information technology and finance, highlighting robust global participation and digital trade innovation.
Held at the city's Shougang Park, the event drew participants from more than 60 countries and over 20 international organizations.
Fortune Global 500 companies, unicorns and industry-leading enterprises unveiled 198 achievements in fields such as artificial intelligence, fintech, healthcare and green technology. Among these, 109 were new product launches, featuring innovations in precision medicine, ultra-high-definition audiovisual technology, photonic quantum computers and bionic cell sensors.
"We will further leverage CIFTIS' role as a platform to promote development, expand openness and foster innovative cooperation, ensuring that the outcomes and consensus reached at this year's fair translate into tangible results," said Zhu Guangyao, an official with the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce.
The fair saw active deal-making, with Australia, this year's guest country of honor, securing 15 cooperation intentions with Chinese partners in finance and education.
More than 8,500 business meetings were initiated on the fair's digital matchmaking platform, while professional attendance increased by 12 percent year-on-year to about 116,000 visitors.
A total of 45 cultural, commercial, tourism and sports activities – including performances, sport events and consumer markets – were held at distinctive locations across Shougang Park, with 11 curated business tours offering immersive insights into investment, culture and industrial tourism, according to Zhang Huayu, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.
The five-day event attracted more than 250,000 onsite visitors and featured about 5,600 virtual exhibitors. International participation expanded, with on-site exhibitor representation from 26 of the world's top 30 countries and regions in terms of services trade.
Experts: CIFTIS presents vast opportunities
For international participant at CIFTIS like Australian vocational education provider Chisholm Institute of TAFE, China's growing demand for high-quality services represents a tangible opportunity.
"We're looking to find partnerships that allow us to deliver Australian vocational qualifications in the Chinese market," said Christopher Hogg, global business development manager of the institute, highlighting education as a key area of services trade collaboration between the two countries.
Over the years, CIFTIS has become a key platform that promotes global collaboration, encourages the exchange of advanced services and creates shared opportunities for global businesses.
Norway's national pavilion, featuring nine companies across sectors like health, nutrition and aquaculture, exemplifies how China's changing consumption pattern is creating opportunities for foreign enterprises.
Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counselor of the Norwegian Embassy in China, noted the alignment between Norwegian offerings and Chinese people's rising health consciousness. "The Chinese consumers are very health-conscious. And for the products that we have in Norway, this is great," he said, seeing "great opportunities" for Norwegian businesses to find partners and introduce products to Chinese consumers.
Andre Haspels, ambassador of the Netherlands to China, pointed to sport services as a vibrant area for cooperation, citing examples like collaborations in swimming safety and cycling infrastructure. "Sports, of course, is very important for health, mental and physical health," he said, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in the health sector.
As one of the world's largest comprehensive fairs for trade in services, CIFTIS provides a unique opportunity for participating African countries to network, sell and learn from practices, said George Tabe, director of Global Consulting, a Cameroonian think tank.
"Cameroon is promoting its touristic benefits and potential at the fair. African countries that are among the top participants at the fair need to seize this opportunity to show the world the services we offer," he said.
The world is witnessing a shift in consumption from goods to services, the expert said. In the first half of this year, China's total trade in services reached a record 3.9 trillion yuan (about $549 billion), marking an 8 percent year-on-year increase. The country is entering a phase of rapid growth in services consumption, Tabe said.
(With input from Xinhua)