The first plenary meeting of the Executive Committee of China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held on July 5 to discuss preparations for CIFTIS 2022. Cai Qi, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Executive Committee, presided over the meeting. Chen Jining, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Mayor of Beijing, and Executive Director of the Executive Committee, and Yin Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Deputy Mayor of Beijing, and Deputy Director of the Executive Committee attended the meeting. Also present were the deputy executive director, deputy director, and leading officials of the one office and fourteen groups of the Executive Committee, and leading officials from relevant ministries, relevant Beijing municipal departments, all districts in Beijing, and Beijing Economic‑Technological Development Area.
It was pointed out at the meeting that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, CIFTIS has become an important platform for China's opening-up. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be held in the second half of this year. Holding a unique and productive CIFTIS is a concrete action to set the stage for the Party's 20th National Congress. It is necessary to have an in-depth understanding of the CIFTIS from the perspective of the overall development of the Party and the country and make preparations up to a high standard to ensure that the exhibition is held as scheduled with better results.
It was emphasized at the meeting that we need to work out timetables and go all out to implement various tasks of preparations and logistic work. Sound preparations should be made for major events during the CIFTIS, including the Global Trade in Services Summit, and for exhibitions and displays. Fortune 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises will be invited to attend the exhibition and there will be more participating companies and institutions from overseas; the Achievement Exhibition of the CIFTIS should be well planned to display the latest development of China's trade in services; market-oriented tools should be made good use of in all thematic exhibitions; the functions of the digital platform should be further improved to integrate online and onsite experience and make CIFTIS an all-year event; forum meetings should be carefully planned to expand the international influence of the summit forums; thematic forums should focus on topics such as innovation cooperation and green development so as to be more professional and expand influence in the industry. We will carry out Beijing Theme Day activities around the topic of "two zones" development and advance the building of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services. Supply needs to be matched with demand before the exhibition, and project tracking should be performed after the event. The operation of the CIFTIS venues needs to be continuously optimized. Renovation of the exhibition hall and supporting facilities nearby will be promoted at the second phase of China National Convention Center. Shougang Park should make good use of its worldwide popularity gained through hosting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and fully tap the Olympic legacy to organize more interactive activities as the venue for CIFTIS. Publicity and warm-up activities should focus on the hot topics of the year to create a sound atmosphere.
It was emphasized at the meeting that strict implementation of COVID-19 protocols is the prerequisite for a successful exhibition. COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control requirements should be strictly followed, and the epidemic prevention plan and how meetings are to be held should be decided based on the epidemic containment situation and subject to adjustment. Local authorities, government departments, employers, and individuals shall fulfill their responsibilities to make sure that there are no loopholes left and strengthen coordination and cooperation. The Office of the Executive Committee should do the overall planning and the working groups should perform their respective duties. All relevant organizations should take the initiative to act and complement each other, making concerted efforts to complete the preparation task with high standards.
(Written by: Liu Feifei, Wu Hongli)
