Int'l service trade fair opens in Beijing

The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), one of the world's largest and most comprehensive fairs for trade in services, has officially opened in Beijing on Thursday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping sending a congratulatory letter to the event.

Xi pointed out the CIFTIS, having been successfully held for ten years, is a vivid portrayal of the high-quality development of China's service industry and service trade, making positive contributions to the building of an open world economy.

China will promote high-quality development via high-level opening-up, improve institutions and mechanisms for high-level opening-up, innovate and upgrade trade in services, actively align itself with high-standard international economic and trade rules, promote interoperability and compatibility of rules, regulations, management and standards in the service sector, open its service market wider to the outside world in an orderly manner, enhance the functions of the service sector and service trade as platforms of opening up, and forge a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, said Xi.

China is ready to work with all countries to jointly share opportunities, discuss cooperation and promote development in line with the general trend of economic globalization, to contribute to promoting global economic growth and the wellbeing of the people of various countries, Xi added.

The 2024 CIFTIS, themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," was opened in Beijing on Thursday.

Yin Li, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, read out Xi's letter at the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a keynote speech at the summit.

Ding said China is willing to work with all parties to boost cooperation in the service sector and trade in services.

China would like to join efforts with all sides to share new opportunities in opening up and development, promote institutional opening-up in service trade, foster new drivers of growth, and accelerate the digital, smart and green transformation of service trade, the vice premier said.

China is ready to work with all parties to tap the vast market, push the integration of service trade with high-end manufacturing, and create a new environment for cooperation and development, he said.

First Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia Levan Davitashvili and Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization Daren Tang also attended the event and delivered speeches.

Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann delivered video speech to the event.

Prior to the summit, Ding and Yin visited the venue of the fair and talked with heads of the participating enterprises.

Ding encouraged Chinese companies to improve their services to benefit people of all countries, and welcomed foreign enterprises to invest in China and thrive by capitalizing on the country's development opportunities.

Int'l service trade fair opens in Beijing

A Swiss air quality services exhibitor at the just-concluded China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) highlighted the growing demand for sustainable practices in the services industry.

The five-day trade fair wrapped up on Monday after attracting participants from over 80 countries and regions, with a host of international organizations also taking part in the event which was themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity."

The green transition has been a prominent theme at this year's CIFTIS. Frank Hammes, global CEO of Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, emphasized at the event that his company is aligning its product development and operations with the green energy movement.

"As a European company, we have a good tradition, I think we are really leading in the green energy field, but as a manufacturer, we're really stunning with the raw materials and so that's quite important. The next thing is how much energy you use during manufacturing? How much energy do you use for the packaging? What types of packaging materials you're using? And ultimately, but that's the most important thing, how long will your product last? Green today means we have to use whatever we're using much more responsibly. So we have many customers in China now that are using our products for over 20 years. And for example, we're still committed to repairing these products, servicing these products. And again, this is an opportunity for the service industry because labor is abundant, but raw materials are very limited," Hammes said.

Noting the significant potential for green technology solutions in the Chinese market, the CEO said IQAir seeks to assist businesses in showcasing their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives by enhancing transparency about workplace air quality.

"One of the areas that we're working in is helping other companies to show their environmental, social and governance ESG Initiatives. And one of those areas where we can help them is to be more transparent about the air quality that they are giving to their employees at work and able to make sure that they have a healthy, productive working environment. The cognitive ability, the ability to think complex thoughts, is actually reduced. So we help companies be at their best, both from health and from a productivity point of view" he said.

"As a foreign company, you try to use your strength and one of the strengths we have, I think we bring a global perspective. We have so many Chinese companies right now that are interested in expanding globally and I think we're there to help them, to really make sure that they understand if I'm going abroad, I will be looked at in terms of my commitment to my employees, my commitment to the environment. And so we try to help them with that because ultimately an environmental project can only be successful if everyone is part of that," said Hammes.

China initiated a national fair dedicated to promoting trade in services in 2012, which later became known as the CIFTIS. The event has attracted over 900,000 exhibitors and participants from 197 countries and regions since its inception.

Swiss exhibitor at CIFTIS aims to help bolster China's green transition