2026 CIFTIS: Where 'China services' meet the world

The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will be held at Beijing's Shougang Park from September 9 to 13, offering a window into the latest trends reshaping China's service trade.

As the first national-level comprehensive exhibition for trade in services held in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), this year's CIFTIS has upgraded its exhibition format and service model.

A total of 90 countries, regions and international organizations will participate in the event, while more than 1,830 companies will attend the exhibitions offline, including 473 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. The fair will feature more than 190 forums, conferences and business matchmaking activities, alongside 74 supporting events and 11 business inspection routes.

Knowledge-intensive services as a new engine

Knowledge-intensive services have been increasingly driving China's service exports. In the first half of 2026, the country's total service imports and exports reached 3.8 trillion yuan (about $566.2 billion), up 8.3% year on year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Among them, exports of intellectual property royalties, financial services, transport services, and telecommunications, computer and information services grew 44.3%, 25.9%, 25.4% and 10.9%, respectively. Knowledge-intensive services accounted for 53.5% of total service exports, increasing 3 percentage points from the end of 2025.

The figures show that China's service trade is shifting toward higher-value-added and technology-intensive segments, said Zhao Ruojin, an associate researcher at the Institute of International Service Trade under the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

From exporting products to delivering technologies and services

The transformation is closely linked to the deeper integration of manufacturing and services. Chinese companies are increasingly moving from simply exporting goods to providing integrated technologies, solutions and full-cycle services.

One example comes from the aviation maintenance sector in south China's Hainan Province. Leveraging the policy advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Haikou Airport Comprehensive Bonded Zone has established specialized aircraft and aero-engine maintenance facilities, accommodating five leading aviation maintenance companies and holding 24 international maintenance licenses covering 19 countries and regions, as well as more than 2,300 component maintenance certifications.

During this year's summer travel season, overseas aircraft arrived for maintenance.

"Airlines from Qatar, Jordan, Thailand and Vietnam have become repeat customers," said Guo Luoyi, a business manager at Grand China Aviation Maintenance Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of HNA Technic, noting that overseas maintenance orders are expected to exceed 100 aircraft this year.

"China's service exports are shifting from traditional sectors such as engineering and transportation to the export of high value-added capabilities, including knowledge, creativity and other high value-added services," said Lin Xuejun, a professor at the International Business School of Jinan University.

Lin said this transformation is driven by years of innovation accumulation, with numerous research achievements, patents, and brands developed through new business models and emerging industries providing strong support for intellectual property-related service exports.

Innovation will be another highlight of this year's fair.

China views digitalization, intelligent technologies, and green development as key drivers of high-quality development and is promoting the application of big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) across service trade, said Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong at a press conference briefing the media about CIFTIS in August.

More than 200 new products and achievements will be unveiled at this year's CIFTIS, with over 100 making their global or China debut, covering areas including information and communications, fintech, digital healthcare, smart education, and energy conservation and environmental protection.

'China services' expanding through innovation

The innovation-driven transformation will be showcased in the newly established “China services” exhibition zone, featuring 140 representative cases from domestic regions and enterprises across a broad range of service trade sectors.

The demonstrated cases will highlight the expanding global reach of Chinese services, with solutions ranging from BeiDou-based space and time information services and cross-border trade platforms to international pharmaceutical research and development services and logistics solutions.

Nearly 40% of the cases involve AI, large language models, or intelligent agents applied in fields such as legal services, digital trade, cultural tourism and quantum computing.

The exhibition will also showcase the closer integration of services into manufacturing and daily life, with smart driving insurance, elderly-friendly digital solutions, and intelligent childcare platforms demonstrating how service innovation is benefiting people more and more.