CIFTIS 2026 Concludes in Beijing with More Than 1,200 Outcomes, Deepening Global Services Trade Cooperation
Dragon Media News Desk
The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) concluded in Beijing on Sunday after strengthening international consensus on expanding cooperation in the services sector. Held from September 9 to 13, the fair featured nearly 100 conferences and forums as well as more than 100 matchmaking and promotional events.
Zhu Guangyao, an official with China’s Ministry of Commerce, said at a press conference following the conclusion of the fair that CIFTIS had sent a clear message that China would continue to expand high-standard opening-up and promote high-quality development. The event also highlighted the growing importance of services trade as a driver of global economic growth and industrial upgrading.
According to Lu Huiling, deputy head and spokesperson of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, the 2026 CIFTIS produced more than 1,200 outcomes across seven categories, helping promote resource matching, exchanges and international cooperation. Norway, this year’s guest country of honor, signed six cooperation agreements with Chinese enterprises and institutions.
Held under the theme “Global Services, Shared Prosperity,” the fair attracted more than 1,800 on-site exhibitors, including over 470 Fortune Global 500 companies and leading enterprises from different industries. Exhibitions showcased new technologies, solutions and achievements in information and communications, financial technology, digital and intelligent healthcare, smart education, energy conservation and environmental protection.
Public and business interest in the event also increased significantly. By Sunday noon, the core exhibition areas at Beijing’s Shougang Park had received nearly 420,000 visits, representing a year-on-year increase of 36.6 percent.
China will continue to deepen international cooperation in services trade, develop new models of cooperation, expand areas of partnership and better align with the development strategies and cooperation initiatives of different countries, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Major international platforms such as CIFTIS will continue to serve as bridges for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Zhu also welcomed service-sector companies from around the world to explore the Chinese market and share the opportunities created by its super-large market. China’s expanding services sector, digital transformation and growing consumer demand are increasingly creating new opportunities for international businesses.
Speakers at the fair noted that services are becoming an integral part of global supply chains, supporting not only production but also design, management, logistics, distribution, finance and digital operations. As a result, services trade is expected to play an increasingly important role in global economic growth and industrial transformation.
Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who also serves as the current chairperson of the African Union, described CIFTIS as a major international platform embodying openness, cooperation and shared development. He said the fair provides governments, international organizations, enterprises and investors with a valuable opportunity to exchange experience, build partnerships and create new avenues for development.
The 2026 CIFTIS demonstrated China’s effort to make services trade an important pillar of high-standard opening-up while linking digital transformation, technological innovation and green development with wider international cooperation. It also reinforced Beijing’s message that China intends to share the opportunities of its large market with the world through deeper, mutually beneficial engagement.
