The ongoing China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has emerged as a focal point for international cooperation, drawing interest and participation from a diverse array of countries and organizations.
Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the trade fair, which opened on Thursday and runs through Monday, has attracted participation from over 80 countries and international organizations.
Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counselor of Royal Norwegian Embassy, highlighted interest in green development cooperation between two countries.
"I think the development in China is you can't really describe it with words almost. But the development in the last ten years, the most striking is China's progress in the green shift. We have small economy and we totally depend on having open economy, more trade. So I think in this sense, fairs like CIFTIS is actually more important now than ever because it's promoting more open trade," said Kristoffersen.
Ghulam Qadir, commercial counselor of the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, emphasized the pivotal role of the Chinese economy as a global manufacturing hub.
"Chinese economy is playing a sheet anchor role and it's the global workshop. And that's why we want to cooperate more with China. And we are looking for win-win outcomes," said Qadir.
The sentiments echoed by representatives from various nations and organizations underscore a shared enthusiasm for engaging with China on multiple fronts, from trade and services to sustainable development, signaling a promising outlook for global partnerships and collaboration with China in the years ahead.
"Of course we do have confidence in the Chinese market. I mean China's market has been opening. The Chinese economy has been growing significantly along the years, for many years now. And we want this trend to follow. We hope that China can keep its strength. And we hope that China and the world can join hands to make developments positive for everyone," said Paulo Nascimento, Portuguese Ambassador to China.
"China is a very big market, but it's not just its size, it's its sophistication. So I think it's more that it's really the sophistication and the tremendous growth and emphasis in services that China has pioneered in many ways. So we want to work with China to help grow that as well," said Dale Pinto, President and Chair of the Board, CPA Australia.