With an experience zone that will explore the much-discussed "metaverse" concept,  as well as an entirely new theme for environmental services, the digital economy and environmental protection are some of the highlights of the upcoming 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). 

CIFTIS, the biggest comprehensive fair in global trade in services, is set to be held in Beijing from August 31 to September 5 at the China National Convention Center and Shougang Park.

Visitors will see some of the most advanced technologies at the exhibition. These include the Fuxing electric multiple-unit high-speed trains developed by China Railway Group and the Xiamen Yuanhai 5G smart terminal, a fully-automated container terminal independently developed by China.

Thematic exhibitions from the previous fairs will carry on this year, showcasing various new technologies in the services sector relating to the financial, education, health, supply chains and business.

The business service area focuses on legal, consulting and advertising services, as well as intellectual property and other professional services of well-known domestic and foreign enterprises, facilitating their plans to go global or enter the Chinese market.

"The added value of China's service industry has increased by 1.49 times over the past decade, and imported services have exceeded $4 trillion, further strengthening the advantages of the country's super-sized market," Sheng Qiuping, vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said at a press conference last week as the fair embarks on its 10th year.

In 2022, both the exhibition area and the number of offline exhibitors will exceed those of last year. The total exhibition area will be around 152,000 square meters, an expansion of 26,000 square meters from 2021.

This year's session of exhibition will feature 1,407 offline exhibitors, an increase of 13.8 percent over last year, of which 446 are Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders. The overall internationalization rate reached 20.8 percent, an increase of nearly 3 percentage points from last year.

A total of 71 countries and international organizations will attend this year's event, including the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Australia. The United Arab Emirates is the guest of honor at the gathering.