China to hold international service trade fair in September

Photo taken on Sept. 2, 2020 shows the outdoor exhibition area of the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), a major platform for the service trade in the country, will take place in early September in Beijing, authorities said on Tuesday.

China will expand the opening up of the service sector and further relax market access restrictions, said commerce ministry official Chen Chunjiang at a press conference.

Highlighting openness, cooperation, and global economic recovery, the CIFTIS 2021 will focus on current topics such as the digital economy and carbon neutrality, said Yan Ligang, head of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.

Apart from the traditional venue of the China National Convention Center, some CIFTIS events will take place in Shougang Park, a new city landmark, once a vacated industrial site in Shijingshan District, said Yan.

As of Tuesday, some 138 overseas organizations and foreign embassies in China had shown their intentions to stage exhibitions or meetings at the CIFTIS, according to Yan.

The fair, to be held from Sept. 2 to Sept. 7, will feature an exhibition area of 130,000 square meters and will likely see over 100 forums, conferences, and business negotiations, he added.