Even as the world faces fragile economic recovery and uncertainties, China's upcoming trade services fair – the 2022 edition of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) – will serve as a significant platform to support the country's opening-up and global cooperation in services trade, officials in Beijing said Tuesday at a media briefing.

The continued impact of COVID-19 has hit the services trade industry including travel and exhibitions, China's Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping said. However, since last year, the country's services trade has managed to overcome the impact of the pandemic and has seen rapid growth, he said.

In 2021, China's service imports and exports totaled 5.3 trillion yuan ($774 billion), reaching a record 16.1 percent year-on-year growth. In the first half of this year, the total trade value of services stood at 2.9 trillion yuan, up 21.6 percent from the previous year. Of this, exports of services alone grew 24.6 percent to 1.4 trillion yuan.

Sheng noted that the latest data showed that China's services have become more competitive globally. But lingering impact of COVID-19 and weak demand from major economies have cast a shadow on services trade, leading to difficulties for enterprises, he said.

Against a backdrop of these multiple pressures, CIFTIS 2022 will help in the recovery and consumption upgrade and offer opportunities to enterprises from around the world to enter the Chinese market, said Yang Jinbai, vice mayor of Beijing.

More than 400 Fortune 500 companies will attend this year's CIFTIS, held both online and offline. The offline exhibition will cover an area of more than 152,000 square meters, 26,000 square meters larger than last year. This year, CIFTIS has nine themes for different exhibitions, including a new one on environmental protection.

CIFTIS 2022 will be held from August 31 to September 5 at the China National Convention Center and Shougang Park, in Beijing.