CIFTIS to feature Going Global zone

The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services, set to open in Beijing on Sept 9 with over 60 countries and international organizations pledging to attend, serves as "a leading global platform for services, technology, knowledge and ideas", a Norwegian official said.

Demonstrating a continuously rising level of international engagement, this year's fair has already seen nearly 300 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises confirm their offline participation. For the first time, the 2026 CIFTIS will debut a "Going Global Service Promotion Roadshow Area".

This innovative section will feature professional institutions and enterprises related to finance, law, accounting, intellectual property, advertising and human resources to conduct promotional pitches.

Centered on key themes such as the commercialization of achievements, open cooperation and new quality productive forces, the area aims to provide enterprises with one-stop services geared to help them expand overseas. Over 40 related roadshow activities have already been scheduled.

Norway will serve as the Guest Country of Honor for this year's event. Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counselor at the Norwegian embassy in China, described this role as both a great honor and a strategic opportunity. Kristoffersen emphasized that the fair allows Norway to show how its companies create value through expertise, innovation, design, digital capabilities and long-term partnerships. Economic ties between the two nations remain robust, with China central to this picture.

He said bilateral merchandise trade value in 2025 reached approximately 182 billion Norwegian kroner ($19.16 billion), with China standing as Norway's largest individual source country for imported goods. Norwegian exports included seafood, marine products, and industrial and technology-related goods.

In the January-June period, Norwegian seafood exports to China surged 31 percent to 7.4 billion kroner, making China its second-largest seafood export market. Notably, salmon exports saw a 51 percent increase in volume and a 42 percent rise in value.

Kristoffersen said these figures show the scale and complementarity of the commercial relationship.

"The next stage must connect products with services, industrial capabilities with digital solutions and trade with long-term knowledge partnerships. This is the idea behind Norway's participation at CIFTIS 2026: moving from individual products to integrated solutions and durable cooperation."

Meanwhile, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has been designated as the Guest Province of Honor for the first time. Li Shuo, deputy director of the region's Department of Commerce, said this assignment underscores Guangxi's strategic positioning at the forefront of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and its role in serving the nation's new development paradigm.

Li said Guangxi will host four special activities across various industries and tracks, including the 2026 National New Tea Beverage Industry Co-creation Conference, jointly organized by China Daily and Guangxi Radio and Television Information Network. The Guangxi Pavilion will display the region's artificial intelligence development and ASEAN-related application scenarios, and will also highlight achievements in the Pinglu Canal, cross-border logistics, traditional Chinese medicine health and wellness items, and cultural exports, striving to achieve data visualization, tangible technologies, scenario-based services and practical cooperation.

To ensure a seamless experience for attendees, local authorities are comprehensively upgrading facilities. Hu Hao, deputy head of Beijing's Shijingshan district, said the district has coordinated local resources to enhance service levels across transportation, accommodation and smart experiences.

To improve traffic flow and ensure safety, 30 parking lots with over 11,000 spaces have been allocated in the district, while new traffic lights and pedestrian-only facilities will be utilized during peak hours. Accommodation capacity has also been expanded, with the district now offering 123 hotels and over 10,000 rooms, including five new hotels within a five-kilometer radius of Shougang Park.

Furthermore, the district is leveraging its technological innovation advantages to create smart and immersive interactive experiences, with service robots to be deployed in key areas of Shougang Park, Hu said.

On the left bank of the Yongding River, a restaurant supported by robots has been set up, integrating dining services, artificial intelligence interaction and tech displays, Hu said, adding that the eatery intelligently features cooking, coffee making and entertainment performances, allowing guests to experience the future up front and center as they enjoy a hearty meal.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn