The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) concluded in Beijing on Sept 13, reaching more than 1,200 deals, according to Xinhua News Agency last Sunday.

The five-day event featured about 200 forums, meetings and business matchmaking and promotional activities, with more than 1,830 companies participating on site, and over 5,300 companies tuned in online.

"Ninety countries, regions and international organizations set up exhibitions or held events at this year's CIFTIS, and a number of innovative technologies, products and services made their debut at the fair," Zhu Guangyao, an official from the Ministry of Commerce, told Xinhua News Agency.

The event also featured the release of several reports, presentations on cutting-edge research and discussions on the latest trends in the services trade, helping promote international exchanges and cooperation, Zhu said.

The fair produced fruitful outcomes across multiple sectors, with 103 companies and institutions unveiling 233 new products, technologies and other achievements, according to Lu Huiling, deputy head and spokesperson of the Beijing municipal commerce bureau.

"Norwegian exhibitors, representing this year's guest country of honor, signed six cooperation agreements with Chinese companies and institutions," Lu said.

The 2026 CIFTIS was held at Shougang Park in Beijing from Sept 9 to 13.

BEIJING - The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), held in the Chinese capital of Beijing from Sept 9 to 13, has deepened consensus on strengthening cooperation in the services sector and injected strong momentum into the world economy.

Fruitful outcomes were achieved during the five-day fair, which saw the holding of nearly 100 conferences and forums as well as over 100 matchmaking and promotion events, said Zhu Guangyao, an official with China's commerce ministry, at a news conference on the conclusion of the fair.

Zhu said the successful event sent a clear signal to the world that China will unswervingly expand high-standard opening up and promote high-quality development.

According to Lu Huiling, deputy head and spokesperson of the Beijing municipal commerce bureau, the 2026 CIFTIS has achieved more than 1,200 outcomes in seven categories, effectively promoting resource matching, exchanges and cooperation. As the guest country of honor, Norway signed six cooperation agreements with Chinese enterprises and institutions, she said.

This year's fair gained rising popularity, drawing an increasing number of visitors to Shougang Park, the event's venue. As of Sunday noon, the core areas of CIFTIS had received nearly 420,000 visits, up 36.6 percent year on year, Lu said.

Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the event saw more than 1,800 enterprises exhibit on site, including over 470 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises. Exhibitions showcased new technologies, solutions, and achievements in services trade, including information and communication, fintech, digital and intelligent healthcare, smart education, energy conservation and environmental protection.

According to Zhu, China will continue to deepen international cooperation in services trade, innovate cooperation models, expand cooperation areas, tap cooperation potential, align with the development strategies and cooperation initiatives of various countries, and use major exhibition platforms such as CIFTIS as a bridge to promote mutually beneficial cooperation among countries.

"We welcome service enterprises from around the world to explore the Chinese market and share in the opportunities of China's super-large market," Zhu said.

Trade in services, a key component of international trade, is playing an increasingly important role in driving global economic growth and industrial upgrading. According to guest speakers at the fair, services are becoming an increasingly integral part of global supply chains, supporting not only production but also design, management, logistics, and distribution.

The CIFTIS, as one of the world's largest platforms for trade in services, embodies a vision of openness, cooperation and shared development, according to Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who also serves as the current chairperson of the African Union. By bringing together governments, international organizations and investors, this fair provides a unique opportunity for exchange, sharing of experiences, and the creation of opportunities, he said.

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Digital upgrades, low-carbon services and new approaches to cultural exports featured prominently among 67 service demonstration cases unveiled at the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Friday.

The release event at Shougang Park drew nearly 300 participants from 31 countries and international organizations. This year's cases cover six areas, ranging from service trade standardization and technology applications to green innovation, services consumption, cultural creativity and support for businesses expanding overseas.

A major focus was the use of technology to solve operational problems. Selected projects apply artificial intelligence, automation and digital twins to logistics and shipping, while others support transport upgrades overseas and help Chinese railway suppliers reach international markets.

An intelligent airport baggage transfer solution, presented at a related exchange event, offered one example of how technology is being applied to everyday service tasks. Other presentations covered data labeling standards and AI tools for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Green and low-carbon services received a dedicated category for the first time, with nine cases selected. These included digitally supported recycling services and a platform that records and supports participation in carbon reduction.

Cultural and creative services also gained their own category, with five cases selected. The projects also illustrate efforts to connect cultural outreach with commercial services, alongside closer integration of culture, tourism, sports and exhibitions. Among them was the overseas performance program of the Colorful Guizhou art troupe, which brings the southwestern province's music, dance and acrobatics to international audiences.

An international matchmaking event that afternoon gave participants a closer look at how the services work. Representatives from six selected cases shared practices, including standardized labeling of spatiotemporal data, intelligent airport baggage transfer and AI services for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Digital and intelligent empowerment is one of the keys to unlocking diverse opportunities in Chinese cities, according to a business executive at the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services.

A report titled Chinese Cities of Opportunity 2026 was jointly released by PwC and industry institutes at an achievements release event of 2026 CIFTIS on Friday.

The report highlights investment values and the multiple development paths of 60 Chinese cities across 10 key dimensions.

With digital and intelligent empowerment, China has already formed a digital ecosystem integrating technology, application scenarios, data, and manufacturing in the process of artificial intelligence industrialization, Zhou Xing, vice-chair and head of public affairs at PwC China, said.

Cities such as Hangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, and Chongqing have kept pace with or even surpassed first-tier cities in five key indicators, including digital infrastructure, information network services, smart factories, data elements markets, and AI industry activity.

According to the report, the growth rate of 5G stations reached double digits in 23 cities. The number of 5G stations per 10,000 people in Beijing and Hangzhou is nearly double the nation's average level.

AI-related companies in the 60 cities highlighted have seen double-digit growth rates. In particular, the scale of Chengdu's core AI industry grew by more than 39 percent in 2025.

The number of 5G factories in 20 cities has also seen skyrocketing growth. Led by Suzhou, Chongqing, and Shanghai in the number of smart factories, Qingdao boasts 10 "lighthouse factories", ranking first nationwide.

An intelligent urban management application in Hangzhou has been recognized by the UN as a typical case. The transport project has provided intelligent solutions for Shanghai's traffic system.

The opportunities empowered by digital and intelligent technologies in Chinese cities are not only a testing ground for Chinese markets, but also a bridge connecting China with the world.

Held in Beijing, CIFTIS 2026 is a national-level comprehensive fair for trade in services held in the opening year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. Let’s discover which sector may prove most promising over the next five years!

Yan Xingzhou contributed to the video.

China's accelerating digital transformation and continued consumption upgrading will drive faster growth in trade in services and create broader opportunities for both domestic and foreign enterprises, said business executives and government officials.

Speaking during the ongoing 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, they said wider market access and improving cross-border flows of data, capital and personnel are creating more room for companies to expand their presence and tap new opportunities in China's services market.

In contrast to goods trade, trade in services involves cross-border transactions in activities ranging from transportation and tourism to telecommunications, computing, advertising, accounting, banking and insurance.

The 2026 CIFTIS, which runs through Sunday, has drawn participants from 90 countries, regions and international organizations. More than 1,800 companies — including Standard Chartered, KPMG, Schneider Electric and Decathlon — are exhibiting on-site.

Yan Dong, vice-minister of commerce, said China will step up efforts to cultivate new drivers of trade in services during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, as shifts in global industrial chains and accelerating digital and green transitions create new opportunities for the sector.

Daren Tang, director-general of the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization, said China has posted rapid growth in trade in services, with strong exports of knowledge-intensive services supported by the country's IP and innovation ecosystem.

From a business perspective, Wu Xuchu, vice-chairman of KPMG China, said China has become one of the world's most important growth markets for businesses worldwide, and a key testing ground for innovation.

The country has developed comprehensive industrial capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence applications, digital payments, optical communications, computing infrastructure and electrical equipment, Wu said.

Klaus Hoseth, CEO of Hoseth Technology, a Norwegian fish-processing firm, said his company is attending CIFTIS for the first time to seek partnerships with Chinese robotics and AI companies.

"China has strong capabilities in robotics and open-source AI. We see opportunities to apply these technologies to automate production, improve efficiency and make our factory operations more intelligent," Hoseth said.

Consumption upgrading and growing cross-border travel are also creating new opportunities for tourism and hospitality businesses.

Julien Munoz, chief commercial officer of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd — a Hong Kong-based group that owns and operates 12 Peninsula hotels worldwide — said Chinese consumers are displaying a growing appetite for outbound travel, while more international tourists are choosing China as a destination.

"Modern luxury travelers also demand greater flexibility and seamless digital convenience alongside personalized hospitality," said Munoz. "To adapt, we leverage our signature 'Peninsula Time' policy, enabling flexible check-in and check-out. This service has proven particularly helpful in accommodating these evolving preferences for greater autonomy and adaptability."

China's vast market and fast-growing affluent consumer base offer strong long-term growth potential. Growing outbound travel by Chinese consumers and rising inbound tourist arrivals are creating new business opportunities for the luxury hotel group, he added.

At the policy level, the State Council — China's Cabinet — issued a guideline in April to expand capacity and improve the quality of China's services sector. By 2030, the country aims to make marked progress in the sector's high-quality growth, with the total scale of the sector exceeding 100 trillion yuan ($14.9 trillion) by then, while more competitive and influential "China services" brands will be cultivated.

China will further open its services sector, ease market access and expand imports of high-quality services as it seeks to create new growth drivers for trade in services and share the opportunities of its vast market with the world, government officials said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Wednesday, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said China will further refine the negative list for cross-border trade in services, widen market access in the services sector and foster a more favorable business environment.

Ding, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the nation will accelerate the development of new business forms and models such as digital services trade, develop knowledge-intensive services and expand exports of producer services.

The 2026 CIFTIS, which runs through Sunday, has drawn participants from 90 countries, regions and international organizations. More than 1,800 companies, including Honeywell, McDonald's and Schneider Electric, are exhibiting on-site.

More than 100 new products and services will make their debut at the fair, covering fields such as information and communications, financial technology, and digital and intelligent healthcare.

Against a backdrop of growing uncertainty in the global trading system, officials from international organizations and foreign governments said during the fair's opening ceremony that services are set to play an increasingly important role in global trade and supply chains.

Johanna Hill, deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, said services are becoming an increasingly important part of global supply chains, supporting not only production but also design, management, logistics and distribution.

She said China can contribute to global services trade by demonstrating the benefits of more competitive services markets and sharing its experience with developing economies.

Highlighting the opportunities for developing economies, Constantino Chiwenga, the Zimbabwean vice-president, said automation and digital innovation are reshaping the global economy and creating new opportunities for trade in services.

Zimbabwe is seeking deeper services cooperation with China through investment, technology transfer and skills development in areas including healthcare, financial services, transportation and professional services, he said.

Alexander Poulev, Bulgaria's deputy prime minister and minister of economy, investments and industry, said trade in services is a key pillar of Bulgaria-China economic ties, with the country seeking stronger long-term partnerships with Chinese businesses.

"Stronger investment cooperation could create new supply chains and add greater value to bilateral trade," Poulev said.

Policy push

Advancing the high-quality development of services trade is a key task outlined in China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which calls for intensified efforts to optimize negative list management of services trade, ease cross-border restrictions, encourage services exports and foster knowledge-intensive services trade. Digitalization and emerging technologies are expected to play an increasingly important role in reshaping the services sector and expanding cross-border trade.

Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, said Beijing stands ready to work with global partners to facilitate trade flows, expand services trade and share the opportunities of China's vast market.

China's trade in services totaled nearly 4.45 trillion yuan ($663 billion) in the first seven months of this year, up 8.3 percent year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

The expansion of services trade is also translating into new opportunities for companies across a range of sectors.

James Evans, general manager of Cathay Cargo, a business unit of the Hong Kong-based Cathay Group, said the company sees the Chinese mainland's continued industrial upgrading, expanding global trade links and increasingly diversified import demand as important drivers.

"On the import side, temperature-controlled cargo is performing particularly well," Evans said. "We are seeing increasing demand for the transportation of fresh produce and pharmaceuticals into the Chinese mainland, reflecting rising consumer demand for high-quality imported goods and the growing importance of reliable cold-chain logistics."

State-owned Shenyang Northern Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Co in Shenyang, Liaoning province, handled 46 million yuan worth of imports and exports between January and August under the bonded maintenance model, a customs arrangement that allows companies to import faulty or damaged foreign-made products without paying import duties, provided they are repaired and then reexported. Five auxiliary power units, or APUs, were repaired and delivered during the period, according to Shenyang Customs.

Wang Lulu, the company's president, said the company will seek more orders from foreign airlines and expand high-end producer services, including APU testing, maintenance and overhaul, particularly in Central and Southeast Asia.

From sweat to smarts, from selling to welcoming, from factory to hub, the "China Opportunity 2.0" lies in every trade. This week, the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) takes center stage. Let's meet there!

Companies are showcasing new technology-enabled offerings at the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services, underscoring the growing application of digital technologies across industries.

Alibaba Group is presenting artificial intelligence applications for consumers, merchants and corporate buyers, said Zhu Yidan, director of Beijing public affairs for 1688, the group's business-to-business online trading platform.

The applications include a tool on Alibaba's e-commerce platform Tmall that allows shoppers to preview how furniture would look in their homes, as well as an AI function that generates recommendations and renderings for age-friendly home renovations.

An upgraded AI tool for merchants on Taobao, Alibaba's online marketplace, features six AI agents that can assist with graphic design, data analysis, merchandising, marketing and customer engagement. Alibaba said the tool has helped more than 5 million merchants integrate AI into their business operations.

For business buyers, 1688 is presenting Newton, an AI-powered sourcing tool designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises and cross-border sellers source products, negotiate prices and track orders. The platform will also launch the Universal Trade Protocol, enabling AI agents to efficiently and reliably manage every stage of a transaction, from product discovery and inquiries to ordering and payment.

China Mobile's pavilion showcases advancements in computing power, global connectivity and the practical applications of AI. Its exhibits include AI-powered flexible manufacturing lines, data analysis tools and healthcare systems, as well as an interactive cabin that allows visitors to experience ultra-realistic holographic remote interactions. The company is also showcasing its latest research on 6G mobile technology.

Services already in commercial use overseas are also on display at China Mobile's pavilion. They include a smart warehousing system for European e-commerce businesses and a cross-border remote operations and maintenance platform for manufacturing plants in Southeast Asia.

Additionally, China Mobile is showcasing a one-stop service integrating mobile network access, cross-border payment and travel assistance for expatriates working at foreign-funded institutions and international business travelers visiting China.

Tan Yunfeng, deputy general manager of China Mobile's Beijing branch, said CIFTIS provides an important platform for showcasing digital capabilities and promoting two-way trade in digital services.

China Postal Express & Logistics is participating in CIFTIS for the 11th consecutive year, showcasing drones, unmanned delivery vehicles and robots. The company said more than 10,000 unmanned delivery vehicles will be deployed nationwide in 2026 for six types of operations, including postal routes serving counties and townships and inbound logistics for factories.

Since 2016, it has established more than 310 drone routes supporting deliveries in urban, rural and mountainous areas and on islands, as well as for the cold-chain transport of medicines.

Schneider Electric is participating in CIFTIS for the seventh year, showcasing services covering the entire life cycle of customers' assets and systems, including design, construction, operations, maintenance and upgrades.

The company's services span power distribution, critical power supplies, and industrial automation for industrial facilities, buildings, infrastructure and data centers.

A key exhibit at CIFTIS 2026 is EcoConsult, a service designed to support companies through assessments, system upgrades and certification applications as they pursue digital transformation. One example is EcoConsult for Data Centers, a consulting service designed to extend the life of data center infrastructure, reduce costs and improve reliability. Another exhibit is EcoFit, which provides renovation services for existing equipment.

Under its "China Hub" strategy, the company draws on four service innovation centers and more than 400 service engineers in China, and a global network of over 1,600 service partners.

Chen Shu, public relations manager at Schneider Electric, described CIFTIS as one of the best platforms for service providers to explore business opportunities, showcase innovations and connect with partners.

wangyuchen@chinadaily.com.cn

Foreign diplomats and international business leaders expect this year's China International Fair for Trade in Services to create new market opportunities and partnerships. The five-day event, which opens in Beijing on Wednesday, brings together exhibitors from 90 countries, regions and international organizations.

CIFTIS 2026, running through Sunday at Shougang Park, brings together more than 1,800 companies. Norway, this year's guest country of honor, is presenting a national pavilion featuring marine industries, nutrition, agriculture, energy, health, digital services, tourism and other areas.

"CIFTIS opens up opportunities for Norwegian companies to expand their business channels and forge partnerships," said Vebjorn Dysvik, Norwegian ambassador to China.

He said business and trade ties between China and Norway are strong, underpinned by close links between companies and regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counselor at the Norwegian embassy in China, said platforms such as CIFTIS are becoming increasingly important because they enable Norwegian and other international companies to showcase their products and brands.

He described Norway's guest-country-of-honor role as a strategic opportunity to demonstrate how its companies create value through expertise, innovation, design and digital capabilities. The country's participation, he said, is intended to shift cooperation from individual products to integrated solutions and from one-off trade to durable partnerships.

For overseas businesses, that openness can translate into sustained market connections. Norwegian dietary and nutritional brand NYO3 is attending CIFTIS for the fifth consecutive year as part of the Norwegian pavilion. The company said the fair has helped it build market connections and expand cooperation channels in China. It expects this year's event to bring it closer to both business partners and consumers as it deepens its presence in the country.

Gianni Di Giovanni, vice-president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and chairman of Eni China BV, said the fair also offers European businesses a venue to explore opportunities and discuss practical issues affecting the business environment.

Services trade is becoming increasingly strategic, he said, not only as an engine of growth but also as a driver of innovation, connectivity and international cooperation.

Di Giovanni pointed to substantial untapped potential for China-Europe cooperation in green development, artificial intelligence, healthcare, life sciences, sustainable mobility, advanced manufacturing and digital services. At the same time, he called for continued dialogue on market access, regulatory transparency, cross-border data flows and the mutual recognition of standards.

"This is precisely why platforms like CIFTIS are so important," Di Giovanni said. "They create opportunities not only for business meetings, but also for trust, understanding and long-term partnerships."

For international participants, the fair's appeal lies in its ability to combine visibility with commercial opportunities. Diplomats and business leaders expect CIFTIS to help companies find partners, reach consumers and better understand the Chinese market, while providing a channel for dialogue on business conditions. As global trade flows and supply chains are reshaped, they see practical cooperation and long-term trust as central to the platform's value.

fanzitong@chinadaily.com.cn

The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services features a dedicated "China Services" exhibition area for the first time, highlighting a broader shift from exporting products alone to delivering technology, expertise and integrated solutions overseas.

The new exhibition area is part of a broader effort to build the "China Services" brand and raise its global profile. It showcases more than 140 cases covering 12 major sectors of trade in services, according to the Beijing Commerce Bureau. Submissions come from 23 provinces, four municipalities and five autonomous regions, as well as State-owned enterprises.

One of the cases was submitted by China National Logging Corporation. The company said it has deployed digital core services at scale in Kazakhstan and Iraq. Combining on-site scanning, laboratory analysis and reservoir evaluation, the services create digital records of rock samples obtained during drilling, enabling researchers in different locations to access and analyze the data while helping preserve the physical cores.

CNLC said it cataloged and digitized more than 1,000 meters of core in one project in Kazakhstan. The material had been stored under basic conditions, leaving it vulnerable to weathering, damage and contamination.

The project involved nearly 40 standardized processes, including cleaning, detailed geological description, high-resolution scanning and platform deployment. According to CNLC, the platform has cut the time required for single-well analysis from seven days to 48 hours.

"To us, 'China Services' means going beyond equipment sales to provide clients with standards, workflows and technical expertise, backed by long-term support," said Chen Liangyu, executive director of CNLC International.

He said this includes providing operational and technical support, training local teams to manage the system independently and allowing clients to retain ownership of their data.

Wuhan Fiberhome Technical Services served as the main communications systems integrator for the first phase of the Astana light rail transit system in Kazakhstan. The 22.4-kilometer line, which began operations on May 16, is Central Asia's first fully automated, intelligent light rail system, according to the company.

Zhang Yuquan, deputy general manager of Wuhan Fiberhome Technical Services, said the company integrated systems for LTE-based wireless communications, video surveillance and passenger information, while also handling design coordination, commissioning, staff training and post-launch technical support.

He said the systems were adapted for Astana's winters, when temperatures can fall below -40 C. The company's technicians worked alongside local operators for 45 days after the line opened, and the company plans to retain a technical team in the city.

"'China Services' is not simply about exporting Chinese products and technologies, but also about providing professional, reliable and sustainable solutions tailored to local needs," Zhang said.

He added that CIFTIS would help the company connect with overseas clients, contractors and local partners in digital infrastructure and smart transportation.

Chinese marketing technology company BlueFocus reported that revenue from its overseas business rose 16.89 percent year-on-year to 56.5 billion yuan ($8.41 billion) in 2025, accounting for more than 80 percent of its total revenue.

With offices in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas, it helps Chinese brands tailor their marketing to local audiences through market research, brand strategy, media buying, public relations and social media management. It has also developed BlueX and BlueTurbo, two AI-enabled platforms used in programmatic advertising.

At CIFTIS 2026, Beijing-based sports licensing and retail company All Star Partner is showcasing how it brings together international sports intellectual property, Chinese design and manufacturing, and retail and event operations.

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it developed officially licensed merchandise for national teams including Argentina, Portugal and Spain, and opened nearly 200 FanTown stores and themed pop-up spaces across China.

It has also established a sports licensing center and a global expansion center in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, aimed at linking global rights holders with Chinese designers and manufacturers, and supporting access to overseas markets.

Jiang Lulu, deputy general manager of All Star Partner, said that for the company, going global means more than selling products abroad. It also requires the ability to turn sports culture into products and experiences, organize supply chains and build lasting relationships with consumers, according to Jiang.

The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services opens on Wednesday at Beijing's Shougang Park and will run through Sunday. The event, themed "Embrace Intelligent Technologies, Empower Trade in Services", promises a dynamic program featuring exhibitions, roadshows, product launches and business matchmaking sessions.

Continuing its commitment to fostering high-quality development through service innovation, this year's CIFTIS spotlights the latest advancements in sectors such as information and communications, financial technology, digital healthcare, smart education and environmental protection.

More than 190 forums, matchmaking sessions and promotional activities are scheduled, including the Forum on Development of Trade in Services, the Forum on Development Trends of Digital Trade and the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development.

International participation at this year's CIFTIS is higher than last year. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Intellectual Property Organization are co-hosting the Global Trade in Services Summit with China's Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing government.

Heads of international organizations, foreign officials and representatives of multinational corporations are discussing cutting-edge issues in services trade. Exhibitors from 90 countries, regions and international organizations are participating, with more than 1,800 companies — including 473 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders — showcasing their innovations.

Norway, the guest country of honor, will present advances in marine industries, nutrition, agriculture, energy, health, digital services, tourism, culture, home design and more. China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the guest province of honor, highlights its achievements in artificial intelligence, cross-border logistics, traditional Chinese medicine and cultural exports.

CIFTIS 2026 underscores its professional focus by organizing forums into four sections: open integration, win-win cooperation, digital innovation and green development. Organizations such as UNCTAD, the Development Research Center of the State Council and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology will release research findings during the fair, including reports on digital trade and the impact of services trade policies. More than 200 new products and achievements will be unveiled, with over 100 making their global or China debut.

For the first time, the fair has set up a promotion and roadshow area dedicated to overseas expansion services to enhance the global presence of "China Services". Professional institutions in finance, law, accounting, intellectual property, advertising and human resources will conduct more than 40 roadshows.

To encourage public engagement, CIFTIS 2026 will organize 74 supplementary activities at Shougang Park and various other locations in Beijing. These activities will integrate technologies such as AI and extended reality while fusing culture, commerce, tourism and sports.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, China's imports and exports of services reached 3.78 trillion yuan ($560 billion) in the first half of 2026, marking an 8.3 percent year-on-year increase. Notably, service exports grew by 17.6 percent, becoming a crucial driver of foreign trade growth.

CIFTIS serves as a platform for showcasing and encouraging innovation and cooperation in global services trade. During China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), services trade will embrace another wave of strategic opportunities, with CIFTIS contributing to global services trade while following the principles of "professionalism, market orientation and distinctiveness".

"Services trade is a direct reflection of the international competitiveness of the services sector and a crucial path for promoting high-quality and efficient development of the services sector," said Yan Dong, vice-minister of commerce. He noted that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China remains committed to cultivating new trade drivers, exploring new market opportunities and enhancing the business environment to advance the innovative development of services trade.

huyuyan@chinadaily.com.cn

Nineteen cultural, tourism, and commercial projects from a riverside scenic area will debut at the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), set to open on Wednesday.

These projects are located near a former steel mill transformed for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and are part of one of the city's largest tourism and cultural projects. The "Twin Parks and One River" area, which spans 92.5 square kilometers, includes Shougang Park and Beijing Garden Expo Park. They are connected by the Yongding River.

The region fosters coordinated development between the Shijingshan, Mentougou, and Fengtai districts. It aims to create a river-lake space where humanity and nature coexist, serving as a core component of the Western Hills-Yongding River Cultural Belt.

The area is being positioned as a waterfront destination that integrates water features with urban vitality and acts as a new engine for high-quality development in western Beijing.

Earlier this month, a train and a ferry service linking Beijing Garden Expo Park and a bank along the Yongding River began service.

Ahead of the trade fair's opening, an upgraded version of the Yongding Riverside Market began operations on Sept 7, following its initial launch in September 2025.

CIFTIS is coming! See you at Shougang Park in Beijing from Sept 9 to 13! For the first time, this year's CIFTIS features an exhibition zone for enterprises that provide go-global services. Altogether 90 countries (regions) and international organizations will host exhibitions and events at the fair. Over 1,830 enterprises will exhibit on-site.

China's deeper opening-up in the services sector is set to bolster the global competitiveness of Chinese service providers and generate new growth opportunities for the global business community, according to market analysts and business executives.

Rather than merely aiming to narrow its services trade deficit, China is poised to expand room for both imports and exports via wider market access and regulatory liberalization. Digital services, technology-intensive services and other emerging segments are expected to emerge as key drivers of services trade growth, experts noted.

The comments came ahead of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services, scheduled to run from Wednesday to Sunday in Beijing. Around 90 countries, regions and international organizations will stage exhibitions or events, while more than 1,800 companies will participate off-line, underscoring the fair's role as a key platform for opening up China's services sector and for international cooperation.

Unlike trade in goods, services trade involves cross-border transactions in activities ranging from transportation and tourism to telecommunications, computing, education and professional services.

In a congratulatory letter to the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services, held in Beijing last year, President Xi Jinping said China will remain firmly committed to expanding high-standard opening-up and accelerate the opening of its services market in an orderly manner on platforms including pilot free trade zones and national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services.

China is ready to work with all parties to jointly promote open and innovative cooperation in global trade in services, build an open world economy, and continuously inject new impetus into building a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said.

China's trade in services totaled nearly 4.45 trillion yuan ($663 billion) in the first seven months of 2026, up 8.3 percent year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

Services exports rose 17.1 percent year-on-year to over 1.77 trillion yuan. Services imports reached 2.67 trillion yuan, up 3.2 percent from a year earlier. The country's services trade deficit stood at 900.25 billion yuan in the first seven months of this year.

Analysts and government officials said China's services trade should not be judged solely by the size of its deficit, as shifts in the composition of imports and exports point to a broader structural transformation, while the country's growing demand for high-quality services is creating substantial opportunities for businesses worldwide.

Nie Pingxiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said continued demand for imported services reflects greater market openness, while the rapid expansion of knowledge-intensive exports signals China's growing competitiveness in higher-value services.

Knowledge-intensive services also remain a pillar of China's services exports. Exports of such services, which include telecommunications, information technology, finance, intellectual property and other business services, rose 12.2 percent year-on-year to 948.28 billion yuan during the January-July period, accounting for 53.5 percent of the country's total services exports, statistics from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

Yan Dong, vice-minister of commerce, said China will step up efforts to cultivate new drivers of trade in services during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, as shifts in global industrial chains and accelerating digital and green transitions create new opportunities for the sector.

Yan said the government will strengthen the international competitiveness of producer services, promote exports in areas such as research and development, design, testing, maintenance and supply-chain logistics, and harness technologies including artificial intelligence and cloud computing to develop new models for trade in services.

Beijing, the host city for the CIFTIS, is emerging as a key testing ground for this next phase of services-sector opening-up, with new measures aimed at expanding market access, facilitating cross-border flows and fostering new drivers of trade in services.

Speaking at an investment promotion event in Beijing in late August, Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, said Beijing will expand exchanges in cross-border e-commerce and international trade and make better use of platforms such as the CIFTIS to deepen economic and trade cooperation.

Yin said Beijing aims to bring more high-quality products and services to the Chinese market.

The Chinese capital has already expanded opening-up in areas including telecommunications and biotechnology, and introduced measures to facilitate cross-border data flows. It also plans to further open up modern service sectors such as the digital economy and healthcare.

Specifically, Beijing has extended the application of its negative list for outbound data transfers from the pilot free trade zone to the entire city, covering nine sectors including medical devices. It will also establish a coordinated development zone linked to the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone, focusing on healthcare, AI, integrated circuits and commercial space.

The continued opening-up of China's services sector is creating new opportunities for global service providers, as the expansion of two-way trade, digitalization and the internationalization of Chinese companies generates greater demand for cross-border logistics and other professional services.

Poh-Yian Koh, president for China at United States logistics company FedEx Corp, said China's continued opening-up and the expansion of trade in services are creating more opportunities for multinational companies in the Chinese market.

"More resilient and diversified global supply chains, along with the continued growth of digital trade and cross-border e-commerce, are generating new demand for international logistics and connectivity," she said.

To capitalize on these opportunities, FedEx's expanded gateway at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangdong province will begin operations by the end of this year.

Similar expansion is taking shape in other service sectors. Messe Frankfurt plans to run roughly 45 exhibitions in the country in 2027 and move further into high-end manufacturing and technology, with the German trade fair organizer exploring new shows in areas including power electronics, additive manufacturing and factory automation.

Stephan Buurma, a board member of Messe Frankfurt, said the company will expand its portfolio through acquisitions and new launches, moving beyond established areas such as textiles, consumer goods and automotive.

Warm autumn sunlight fell across Shougang Park, a former steel mill site in western Beijing. In two days, the park will welcome delegates from around the world as the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services gets underway.

The fair comes at a time when global growth is under pressure, as higher tariffs and mounting protectionism weigh on goods trade. Trade in services, by contrast, has shown greater resilience, with digitalization and the green transition opening new avenues for cross-border business and providing fresh impetus to the world economy.

The growth in China's services trade reflects the expanding global footprint and rising competitiveness of Chinese service providers, as more companies tap overseas markets and forge cross-border partnerships.

In an interview, Li Hongyu, general manager of Beijing-based radiotherapy equipment maker LinaTech, said CIFTIS had helped the company forge international partnerships and expand its global presence.

Li pointed to the company's flagship VenusX medical linear accelerator, which received US FDA clearance in 2024 and has since been exported to eight countries. One became the first Chinese-made medical linear accelerator to enter clinical use in the United States, while another was the first such system installed in Africa.

"China's services trade is moving up the value chain, as companies increasingly compete overseas on the strength of their technology, solutions and standards," Li said.

The growing overseas reach of companies such as LinaTech is being underpinned not only by technological strength, but also by deeper institutional opening-up. Beijing has been at the forefront of that push.

"Multinational companies should capitalize on CIFTIS to deepen business ties and bring more high-quality products and services to Beijing and the broader Chinese market," said Yin Li, secretary of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee.

Beijing has also moved to facilitate cross-border data flows. Tang Wenhong, vice-mayor of Beijing, said at a news conference in late August that the city had extended the application of its negative list for cross-border data transfers from the pilot free trade zone to the entire city, covering nine sectors including medical devices.

Beijing is also piloting wider opening in value-added telecommunications and biotechnology, Tang added.

This push for wider opening-up is equally attractive to overseas businesses looking to deepen their presence in China. Norway's participation as this year's guest country of honor at CIFTIS offers a case in point.

The Norwegian national pavilion will showcase the country's strengths in green energy, digital technology, healthy home products and high-end nutrition.

Wu Haifeng, Falkor's senior vice-president, told me he saw the five-day fair as an opportunity to foster closer cooperation between Chinese and Norwegian companies in industrial intelligence.

"We look forward to a successful CIFTIS 2026 and to joining forces with partners worldwide to deepen cooperation in services," Wu said.

China's trade in services saw rapid expansion in the first half, officials, experts and business executives said, pointing to a shift toward a foreign trade structure in which services are an increasingly important source of growth.

Buoyed by the sector's robust expansion, the China International Fair for Trade in Services is set to further cement its role as a two-way gateway, accelerating the flow of global innovation into China's vast market while helping Chinese service providers make further inroads in markets overseas.

Opening in Beijing on Wednesday, the five-day fair is expected to draw growing international attention, underscoring China's commitment to opening its services sector wider and injecting much-needed stability and certainty into global trade amid mounting protectionism and heightened economic uncertainty, they added.

In contrast to goods trade, which involves physical products moving across borders, services trade covers transactions in intangible offerings ranging from transportation and tourism to telecommunications, advertising, education, computing and accounting.

In the first half, China's imports and exports of services totaled 3.78 trillion yuan ($556.6 billion), up 8.3 percent year-on-year, said the Ministry of Commerce.

That was nearly 50 percent higher than in the same period a decade earlier, when the total stood at 2.53 trillion yuan. Growth has gathered pace in recent years, with annual two-way services trade topping $1 trillion for the first time in 2024, the ministry said.

"China's services trade is expanding rapidly and becoming more competitive. It has emerged as a particularly resilient source of growth in the country's opening-up drive," said Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

That growing strength is drawing businesses from around the world, with a strong international presence expected at the event.

"This year's fair will bring together some 90 countries and international organizations, with more than 1,800 companies set to exhibit on-site," Vice-Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said at a recent news conference in Beijing.

Falkor, a Norway-based industrial intelligence provider serving the global energy sector, will make its fifth appearance at CIFTIS this year, showcasing its solutions, real-world applications and the results of its work with industry partners, said Wu Haifeng, senior vice-president of Falkor.

Norway will serve as the guest country of honor at this year's fair. Wu, who is also vice-chairman of the Norwegian Business Association China, said Norwegian businesses hope to use the occasion to forge new partnerships in China.

At last year's fair, the company formed a strategic partnership with China Oil HBP Science & Technology Co. The two sides have since been working to roll out an industrial digital platform, Wu said.

"Over the next five years, we will continue to increase our investment in China, deepen local partnerships, and use industrial intelligence to boost operational performance and advance the energy sector's green transition," Wu said.

Meanwhile, this year's fair will see more than 90 companies and institutions unveil new technologies, products and services spanning information and communications technology, fintech and digital healthcare, with some set for global debuts or their first showings in China, Yan added.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech, the medical technology arm of US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson, will bring more than 60 products to the fair. About one-third will make their CIFTIS debut, said Edward Zhou, president of Johnson& Johnson MedTech China.

"We have been part of CIFTIS for several years now, and what sets this platform apart is its ability to turn conversations into action. It is more than a showcase — it is a catalyst," Zhou said.

Impella, a minimally invasive heart pump featured at last year's fair, has since secured temporary import approval under a program for innovative medical devices needed in clinical care and entered clinical use at leading cardiac centers in Beijing, he said, adding that "what we see in China's services trade is a clear shift toward quality-driven growth".

China's services exports jumped 17.6 percent year

-on-year to 1.5 trillion yuan in the first half. Exports of knowledge-intensive services rose 12.8 percent to 805.67 billion yuan, making up 53.5 percent of all services exports, said the Ministry of Commerce.

"With knowledge-intensive services now accounting for more than half of China's services exports, the sector has reached an inflection point and is moving further up the value chain," said Bai Wenxi, vice-chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Union.

Digital technology and artificial intelligence are accelerating the shift, with digital services emerging as a new growth engine, Bai said.

Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, also struck an optimistic note, saying China's rapid advances in AI and steady improvements in intellectual property protections would give its services exports ample room to grow.

Travel service exports grew even faster, rising 31.1 percent year-on-year to 229.2 billion yuan in the first half, the fastest pace among the five largest service export categories, said the ministry.

The surge came as China expanded visa-free access, streamlined departure tax refunds and improved payment services, fueling the popularity of "China Travel", Yan said.

China is doubling down on services exports, with "encouraging and supporting services exports" embedded in this year's Government Work Report as a key task.

In April, the State Council — the nation's Cabinet — issued a new set of guidelines aimed at expanding capacity and upgrading the quality of the country's services sector, setting a goal for its total scale to reach 100 trillion yuan by 2030.

Yan said the policy push would gather pace in the second half as measures to expand and upgrade the services sector and build national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services take effect.

A State Council report submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for review in late August also called for expanding trade in services and promoting more balanced trade in the second half.

"China's trade in services is expected to remain on a positive trajectory this year, with services exports continuing to grow strongly," Yan said.

To further strengthen the competitiveness of Chinese services in foreign markets, this year's fair will, for the first time, feature a promotion and roadshow zone for overseas-expansion services, said Tang Wenhong, vice-mayor of Beijing, at the news conference.

Stronger exports have also helped narrow China's services trade deficit. The gap stood at 770.35 billion yuan in the first half, 161.42 billion yuan less than a year earlier, official figures showed.

Yet experts said the remaining gap points to room for the country to strengthen its competitiveness in high-value services.

Bai pointed to market access barriers, regional imbalances and gaps in domestic supply.

Trade in services remains concentrated in eastern China, with central and western regions playing a smaller role. Domestic supply remains weak in some knowledge-intensive areas, particularly intellectual property-related services, he said.

Bai called for closer alignment with international rules on digital services trade and sustained policy support for inbound tourism.

"China needs to make better use of CIFTIS, build stronger capabilities in knowledge-intensive services and move faster on institutional opening-up," he said.

The ministry said China will move faster to develop national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services. The country will also steadily broaden market access and open up more areas of the services sector, while improving the negative-list system for cross-border trade in services.

The measures are aimed at removing barriers and creating a more open, transparent and predictable market environment for domestic and foreign businesses.

Zhou from the academy said the deficit should not be viewed in isolation.

While an excessively large gap could make it harder to build strong industry clusters and sharpen competitiveness, imports can bring in the expertise and technology needed for economic upgrading, he said.

As China's domestic capabilities strengthen, services exports are also rising, Zhou said, adding: "China should expand services imports and exports in tandem and tap global expertise and resources to add momentum to growth. That would make the economy more knowledge — and technology-intensive and support high-quality development."

zhangchenxu@chinadaily.com.cn

Driven by a systemic leap in independent innovation, China's foreign trade reached a historic high of over 25 trillion yuan ($3.72 trillion) in the first half, propelled by orders for robots, artificial intelligence and innovative drugs — collectively known as the "new new three".

The evolution of China's export portfolio tells a compelling story of continuous industrial upgrading. Decades ago, the "old three" — clothing, furniture and home appliances — dominated shipments, later replaced by the "new three" of new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells.

Today, the "new new three" are emerging as the latest calling cards of Chinese foreign trade. Chen Yutao, deputy director of the standard committee at the China Enterprise Confederation under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, said this evolution represents a concentrated demonstration of China's shift from advanced manufacturing to an even more comprehensive innovation ecosystem.

This year, the accelerated development of the AI sector has seen China exporting algorithms, computing power and digital solutions, alongside rapid growth in AI hardware exports. Amid the global AI boom, massive amounts of data are transmitted between data centers, with facilities increasingly reliant on advanced optical communication networks.

In a production facility of Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock in Wuhan's Optics Valley in Hubei province, production lines are operating at full capacity.

"Special optical fibers used for AI intelligent computing centers are currently in short supply due to the explosive growth of data centers," said Wen Xiaojiang, general manager of YOFC's International Company.

Securing these orders is the result of years of technological accumulation. Since China's first practical optical fiber was born in Wuhan in the 1970s, Optics Valley has built an industrial cluster encompassing materials, devices and equipment. Today, more than 800 AI enterprises are rooted in the area, with the optoelectronic information industry's annual output exceeding 660 billion yuan.

Anticipating AI computing scenarios, YOFC has proactively developed a series of AI computing optical fibers, propelling China to the forefront of next-generation optical fiber technology. Zheng Xin, vice-president of YOFC, explained they developed this fiber recognizing its advanced concept, believing it would be widely used. "When the AI wave arrived, this fiber was ready for those who were prepared," Zheng said.

The rise of the "new new three" is heavily supported by China's robust high-end manufacturing and industrial clusters. Backed by a complete industrial ecology, Chinese robotics has become a front-runner in the global wave of intelligence. Inside a robotics company in Beijing's Zhongguancun tech hub, a head of overseas business conducts a video call with a Thai agent, promptly adjusting technical solutions to customize the most suitable products.

Founded in 2014, this enterprise has leveraged years of technological reserves to expand globally. Its robots are now deployed in over 40,000 hotels, more than 200 medical institutions and numerous factories across over 20 countries.

Utilizing a modular architecture, the company flexibly combines a universal robot chassis with various functional components. Users can dispatch robots to complete multiple tasks by issuing voice or text commands through an AI smartphone assistant.

Within the company, robots are increasingly becoming daily co-workers, navigating between floors to respond to employee needs, thereby refining their practical service capabilities. In the first half, China's cumulative exports of various robots reached 12.947 million units, with a total export value of 24.85 billion yuan, reaching more than 160 countries and regions. Relying on abundant application scenarios and comprehensive supply chains, Chinese firms are providing smarter, cost-effective robots worldwide.

While AI and robotics exports primarily involve products and system-based services, the innovative pharmaceutical sector is increasingly characterized by the export of patents and foundational research capabilities. In the first half, 31 domestically produced innovative drugs were approved for market launch nationwide.

Two originated from the medicine port in Hangzhou's Qiantang New Area, a compact hub that has gathered over 300 innovative pharmaceutical companies over the past 10 years. Notably, even before achieving commercial sales, some pharmaceutical companies have already generated overseas revenue through drug patent licensing.

Qian Lili, chairwoman of I-Mab Biopharma, recalled that 10 years ago, Chinese firms had to wait for products to be launched abroad before introducing them domestically.

"Currently, we are out-licensing the rights of our self-developed products to overseas companies," Qian said.

This year, the company completed a business development transaction with US company Biogen for a self-developed anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, with a total deal value of $850 million and an upfront payment of $100 million. Such deals allow domestic pharmaceutical companies to jointly advance research and development and sales with global partners, becoming a crucial pathway to enter the international market.

In the first half, the total value of China's out-licensing transactions for innovative drugs exceeded $100 billion, setting a historical record and pushing the industry's scale to the second largest globally.

Behind this success is a significant reduction in core material costs. The price of domestically developed cell culture media — essential for biopharmaceuticals — is now only one-quarter of what it used to be. This continuous reduction in raw material costs, optimized processes and sustained basic research have accelerated the global expansion of innovative drugs.

Accelerated R&D and faster regulatory approvals have enabled domestic innovative drugs to get to market quickly, benefiting domestic patients earlier.

Shen Lin, vice-president of Peking University Cancer Hospital, said doctors feel much more confident as R&D speed has significantly increased.

Liu Guoen, dean of the Peking University Institute for Global Health and Development, views this explosive growth as the inevitable result of decades of long-term accumulation, and expects that going global will remain the biggest highlight on China's path of innovation.

According to industry surveys, many professionals have been somewhat surprised by the rapid development of many sectors. Longstanding optical fiber manufacturers did not anticipate the sudden AI demand surge, robotics companies did not foresee the sheer volume of customized global requests, and innovative drug practitioners never imagined established overseas pharmaceutical giants would actively seek R&D collaborations from Chinese partners.

The overarching consensus is that the "new new three" represent a new systemic capability cultivated through decades of exploration in Chinese manufacturing, marking a qualitative upgrade of China's industrial logic heading into the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

Hao Jianbin, a researcher at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, pointed out this transition embodies a comprehensive iteration of China's comparative advantages in foreign trade.

Hao said the growth driver has shifted from supply chain scale to original innovation, competing on foundational technology. Furthermore, patterns have diversified from physical goods to a composite trade of goods and knowledge-centric services, raising the ceiling of foreign trade added value. China's position in the global division of labor is also moving upward, directly targeting global frontier sectors.

Additionally, the international cooperation model has shifted from one-way outbound sales to two-way global collaborative innovation. Transnational open-source collaboration in AI and cross-border joint R&D in innovative drugs have become the new norms, demonstrating stronger resilience and adaptability to diverse global needs.

Zhao Lijin, deputy director of the Market Research Department at the CCPIT Academy, concluded that the progression to the "new new three" export product categories demonstrates China's export overseas sales structure is continuously moving toward newer, higher-quality frontiers.

With core advantages shifting to independent, source innovation aspects, more golden ideas from laboratories are accelerating their transformation into golden keys for development, Zhao said.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

China's expanding trade in services, coupled with its vast healthcare market and improving regulatory environment, is creating fresh opportunities for multinational medical technology companies to introduce advanced solutions and deepen collaboration with local innovators, a senior executive said.

The China International Fair for Trade in Services, or CIFTIS, which will open in Beijing on Sept 9, has become a key platform for turning those opportunities into tangible outcomes and moving medical innovations from exhibition to clinical application, he said.

"What sets this platform apart is its ability to turn conversations into action. It is more than a showcase — it is a catalyst," Edward Zhou, president of Johnson & Johnson MedTech China, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

J&J MedTech, the medical technology arm of US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson, has participated in CIFTIS for several years, Zhou said.

This year, the company will showcase more than 60 products, about one-third of which will make their CIFTIS debut, including the Carina modular laparoscopic surgical robot developed by Shanghai-based Ronovo Surgical.

It also plans to work with a leading hospital in Beijing to establish a training and demonstration center for modular surgical robots to support physician training and clinical adoption, Zhou said.

Impella, a heart pump showcased by J&J MedTech at last year's fair, was later granted temporary import approval under a framework allowing innovative medical devices to be brought in to meet urgent clinical needs and is now in use at leading cardiac centers in Beijing.

"China is playing an increasingly active role in the global healthcare services ecosystem," he said, adding that the country's clinical data resources, digital infrastructure and research talent are contributing to medical innovation worldwide.

The shift is being underpinned by a stronger policy push. This year's Government Work Report said China will "expand market access and open up more areas, particularly in the services sector" and "shorten the negative list for cross-border trade in services".

Beijing has expanded the application of its data-export negative list from its pilot free trade zone to the entire city, covering nine sectors including medical devices.

Zhou said J&J MedTech is enhancing ties with domestic innovators through product co-development and commercial arrangements aimed at facilitating market access and incorporating clinical insights from China into its global innovation network.

Such efforts include collaborations with CED Medical and Pulse Medical on neurosurgical interventions and a left atrial appendage occlusion device, respectively, while its strategic partnership with Ronovo Surgical seeks to accelerate the adoption of robotic-assisted surgery in China.

The partnerships demonstrate the potential of combining global expertise with local innovation, Zhou said.

Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said China's vast market, well-developed industrial ecosystem and continued services-sector opening-up have provided fertile ground for global businesses seeking to tap rising demand for higher-quality services.

"Foreign companies can leverage their expertise to play a greater role in China's expanding services market and benefit as consumer spending shifts toward higher-quality services."

Looking ahead, Zhou said J&J MedTech will focus on advanced manufacturing and medtech innovation as it expands its presence in China.

The company has established a localized production line for electrophysiology devices at its campus in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, as well as Technology and Innovation Hubs in Beijing focused on digital health, professional education and electrophysiology.

"Our priority is on deepening our local footprint and becoming more fully integrated into China's healthcare ecosystem," he added.

zhangchenxu@chinadaily.com.cn