Editor's note: Song Wei, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). Liang Zhihan is a student at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, BFSU. The article reflects the authors' opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held in Beijing from September 12 to 16. Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and increasing global destabilizing factors, international trade and service cooperation have suffered a huge impact. As one of the most important driving forces for world economic development, China actively holds CIFTIS against the backdrop of unfavorable global conditions, aiming to build cooperative exhibition platforms to continuously enhance national opening-up, attract more exhibitors from all fields of the world to cooperate in China, and share advanced technology experience in global service-related fields.

Today, CIFTIS has brought multi-level cooperation between various countries in emerging key areas, helping them work together to seize new opportunities, and promoting the common development of international trade in services.

In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to promote the opening-up, cooperation, innovation and sharing of the service industry and service trade. In recent years, with the continuous development of economic globalization, China, as an important economy and the largest developing country in the world, has continued to promote a high-level opening-up and provide channels for global exchanges.

CIFTIS, as an important platform for opening-up and cooperation with the world, has attracted nearly 200 countries and regions for more than 10 years since 2012, focusing on key service areas such as the integration of culture and tourism, the digital economy, technological innovation, digital trade, meteorological economy, health services, standardization of the service trade, and the green economy. It has gradually become the largest comprehensive exhibition in global service trade, which actively promotes the common development and win-win cooperation in the international economy.

Under the guidance of the theme of "Global service, mutual benefit and sharing," this year's CIFTIS further demonstrates China's determination to continuously promote a high level of opening-up, and make common progress in cooperation with other countries, while promoting the high-quality development of its own service trade industry.

CIFTIS can substantially promote practical international cooperation. Over the years, with the support of CIFTIS, China has been expanding its circle of friends in global services and carrying out projects and exchanges with more and more countries. Ghulam Qadir, trade and investment counsellor of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, regards CIFTIS as "one of the most important exhibitions in the world." Babagana Wakil, the Nigerian Ambassador to China, is confident that CIFTIS will promote South-South cooperation between China and Nigeria.

It is worth noting that, as the guest of honor of this year's CIFTIS, France has fully integrated local culture and the Paris Olympic Games, while focusing on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. In this year's edition, France has promoted its culture, held thematic events based on health, sports, and tourism, while showcasing quality products such as champagne and high-end cosmetics, fully demonstrating France's advantages in terms of brand and service image. It can be seen that as an important link of service trade cooperation between China and participating countries including France, CIFTIS can help all parties achieve win-win cooperation with joint efforts.

CIFTIS enables scientific and technological innovation. This year, exhibitors from various countries have focused on core cutting-edge fields such as digital economy, new energy, and artificial intelligence, and showcased advanced technologies and achievements. At the same time, with opportunities created by CIFTIS, exhibitors have innovated in terms of mutual display, exchange and learning to empower the service industry and trade.

Take Schneider Electric for example. This year, the French multinational corporation specialized in digital automation and energy management has demonstrated multi-industry application innovation, including a new upgrade of power distribution consulting services and more scientific business processes. In addition, Chinese exhibitors such as Ant Group and Bank of Beijing have also launched innovative service achievements in finance, information technology, healthcare, sharing advanced service experience and innovation practice in their respective fields, thus injecting more energy into innovation cooperation in service industries at home and abroad.

In the context of the continuous development of economic globalization, CIFTIS, as an important channel for exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries in the service industry, reflects China's determination to continuously promote high-level opening-up, and actively encourages exhibitors from various countries to share advanced technology experience and products, which can empower the innovation of service industry and create more development opportunities to realize win-win cooperation.

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