BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Opportunities, partnerships and shared prosperity are among the most frequently mentioned terms by exhibitors and guest speakers who are in Beijing for a major services trade fair.
This was evident when Ragnhild Sjoner Syrstad, Norway's state secretary for industry and commerce, briefed a large crowd at the Norwegian Pavilion on her nation's exhibition at the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).
As the guest country of honor for this year's event, Norway has brought firms spanning health, nutrition, design and lifestyle to its pavilion. According to Syrstad, the stronger presence and diversity of Norwegian firms demonstrate the importance Norway places on both the CIFTIS and the business relationship between the two countries.
Another example was Alexander Poulev, Bulgaria's deputy prime minister and minister of economy, investment and industry, who explained why his delegation has traveled more than 7,000 km to attend the CIFTIS. He praised the fair as an opportunity to turn the longstanding friendship between Bulgaria and China into concrete investments, stronger trade, and long-term economic cooperation.
With the theme of "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," this year's CIFTIS features the debut of over 100 new products and services, covering fields such as information and communications, fintech, and digital and intelligent healthcare. A series of forums and business matchmaking activities are also being held.
EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES
The 2026 CIFTIS, running from Sept. 9 to 13, has attracted a heavier presence of multinational companies compared to last year, with 473 of these being either Fortune Global 500 firms or industry leaders.
During the fair, U.S. pharmaceutical giant Lilly, a Fortune Global 500 company, is showcasing innovative treatment solutions across the fields of metabolic diseases, neuroscience, oncology and immunology. Wang Li, head of Lilly China's drug development and medical affairs center, said that as China's clinical research capabilities and innovation ecosystem have continued to advance, the country has become an indispensable partner in Lilly's global R&D system.
In 2024, Lilly established a medical innovation center in Beijing, focusing on enhancing clinical development efficiency, accelerating new drug R&D and implementing medical solutions. In 2025, the firm launched its first overseas innovation incubator, Lilly Gateway Labs, also located in Beijing. Wang said the Lilly innovation incubator not only brings Lilly's expertise in science, management and resource support to local startups but also deeply integrates into Beijing's pharmaceutical industry ecosystem.
Banking on China's huge medical market demand, the company announced earlier this year that it planned to invest 3 billion U.S. dollars in China over the coming decade to expand supply-chain production capacity. This decision marked another significant move by the company to deepen its roots in China and support the development of the local healthcare industry.
"We will use the CIFTIS as a bridge to actively introduce global innovation into China, and collaborate with top local academic and industrial forces to bring more innovative treatment options to patients, jointly promoting the high-quality development of China's pharmaceutical and health industry," Wang noted.
ABB, a global leader in electrification and automation technologies and also a Fortune Global 500 company, is eyeing the vast business potential arising from China's urban renewal. Lars Eckerlein, general manager of ABB China Limited, said China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) opens a new chapter for the nation's real estate and construction sectors. He added that the company is proud to leverage its expertise in construction and renovation to support China's urban renewal and its sustainability and high-quality development goals.
Speaking about his firm's participation in projects across China, from renovating aging buildings to improving energy efficiency, Eckerlein said the Shekou Tower renovation in Shenzhen in south China had achieved an energy-saving rate of 75 percent and cut carbon emissions by 142 tonnes annually. The project also helped remove potential hazards posed by outdated facilities, using an integrated energy management solution.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said China has actively promoted trade in services and opened its services sector wider. These efforts are creating more opportunities for countries and businesses around the world, he said in a keynote speech delivered at the 2026 Global Trade in Services Summit that marked the opening of the fair.
China runs a deficit in services trade, with its imports growing steadily. The value of annual services imports has stood at around 4.4 trillion yuan (about 650 billion U.S. dollars) per year in recent years.
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
As the first national-level comprehensive services trade exhibition in the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, the CIFTIS not only injects fresh vitality into global services trade, investment and consumption, but also serves as a platform for promoting openness and cooperation among countries and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.
Poulev, the Bulgarian deputy prime minister, said trade in services is an important pillar of bilateral ties. "We want to see more organic products reaching the Chinese market and more Bulgarian companies building long-term partnerships with Chinese businesses."
He also said that Chinese companies have globally competitive technologies in sectors like electric mobility, software, automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing, while Bulgaria has skilled engineers and an established industrial ecosystem.
"This creates a strong opportunity that combines Chinese technology and investment with Bulgarian engineering and expertise," he said, adding that Bulgaria also offers a strategic location for companies looking to expand their presence in Europe.
In Poulev's view, stronger investment cooperation can create new supply chains and enhance the value of bilateral trade. "We are ready to build the next generation of Bulgaria-China economic cooperation together."
This willingness to build stronger partnerships resonates with the African region. In a video address to the summit, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who also serves as the current chairperson of the African Union, said that the CIFTIS, as one of the world's largest platforms for trade in services, embodies a vision of openness, cooperation and shared development.
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.
"In a constantly changing world, we need more than ever to move forward together, share our experiences, and innovate to create new opportunities and build a better future for our countries," he said, adding that efforts should be doubled to turn trade in services into a true driver of shared prosperity, sustainable growth and economic development.
PROMOTE PROSPERITY
Ding, the Chinese vice premier, pointed out that trade in services is an important component of international trade and is playing an increasingly important role in driving global economic growth and industrial upgrading. He said that amid the accelerating restructuring of the international economic and trade landscape, advancing trade in services and promoting opening up and cooperation in the services sector is not only China's choice but also a necessity for the world.
Johanna Hill, deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), told the summit in a video address that services account for around half of global trade in value-added terms. This share is only likely to grow, propelled by the rise of digital technologies, notably AI. At the same time, services are becoming an ever more important part of global supply chains. They support not only production, but also design, management, logistics and distribution.
Against the background of complex and sometimes frail international trade relations, she said countries that have successfully integrated services trade in their development strategies can share their experience and support those that are still making the transition.
Hill also said that China is already helping translate its experience into practical support via cooperation with the WTO. The South-South capacity building program, additionally, provides an important vehicle for doing this, by supporting developing countries in areas such as services trade, investment facilitation and electronic commerce.
According to Standard Chartered's Benjamin Hung, the next phase of trade will increasingly be shaped by the flow of services, in particular, in the form of knowledge, standards and ideas.
"Through years of reform and opening up, China has become one of the world's leading trading nations and a major contributor to global growth and prosperity," Hung said, adding that Standard Chartered has been privileged to both witness this journey firsthand and take part in it.
"We live in a world of increasing fragmentation, yet trade remains one of the few truly universal languages, connecting people, markets and opportunities across borders. Trade works best when it is open, transparent, predictable and rules-based," he said. Enditem
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