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 yesterday.

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.

The CIFTIS provides the country with a golden opportunity to showcase the nation’s capability in containing the virus while promoting the progresses of its growing services sector, now representing over 50 percent of its GDP.

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 yesterday, 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 7, will feature an exhibition area of 130,000 square meters and will likely see over 100 forums, conferences, and business negotiations, he added.

The 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services opened Sept. 4 as the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak.

A total of 18,000 companies and institutions from 148 countries and regions and about 100,000 visitors have attended the fair. It covered service trade of culture, tourism, finance, sports, robotics, education and 5G.

(Xinhua)