On the morning of July 13, the Ministry of Commerce held a press conference on the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). The reporter learned from the conference that the 2021 CIFTS will be held from September 2 to 7 at the China National Convention Centre and Shougang Park in Beijing. Six types of events are planned: Global Trade in Services Summit, forums and conferences, exhibitions and displays, promotion conferences, achievements release ceremonies, and side events. The exhibition and display areas will cover about 130,000 square meters, and more than 100 forums and conferences, promotion conferences and other events will be held. September 3 and 4 are trade visitor days, and September 5, 6 and 7 are open days for the public.
The "Online + Offline" Mode Accelerates the Recovery of Services Trade
According to Chen Chunjiang, Head of the Department of Trade in Services of the Ministry of Commerce, CIFTIS is a state-level, international and comprehensive fair jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality. The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the first year of the implementation of China's 14th Five-Year Plan, and the start of China's new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way. In this difficult time when the global pandemic remains severe and complicated, a successful CIFTIS has special significance.
He said that a successful CIFTIS is an important move for accelerating the establishment of a new development pattern in which domestic and foreign circulations reinforce each other. The advantages of China's ultra-large-scale market have been further strengthened. The integration of domestic and foreign trade has facilitated the interactive development of markets at home and abroad. The opening-up of the services sector has been deepened constantly. The openness and cooperation in China's services sector have broad prospects. A successful CIFTIS will further deepen international cooperation in the services sector, energize growth in trade in services, and boost the high-quality development of trade.
Moreover, a successful CIFTIS is an important platform for expanding the opening-up of the services sector and promoting the development of a new open economy at a higher level. It is also an effective means for balancing epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, and accelerating the recovery of services trade. At present, the global pandemic is yet to be brought under full control. Given the impeded flow of people and logistics, and disrupted economic and trade activities, CIFTIS will make full use of digital technology and adopt the "online + offline" mode. Such a mode promotes online and face-to-face exchanges and talks among enterprises, helping them explore business opportunities in various ways and offset the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. Furthermore, it also fully demonstrates the huge potential of digital, networked, and smart development of the economy.
6 Types of Events on Global Trends
Yan Ligang, Director General of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, said that the 2021 CIFTIS will focus on current hot topics such as the digital economy and carbon peaking and neutrality and highlight the leading role that open cooperation in the services sector plays in the world's economic recovery. With the theme of "Enabling a Digital Future, Driving Development with Services", the 2021 CIFTIS will hold six types of events.
The Global Trade in Services Summit, among other events, will show China's unswerving confidence and determination to open wider to the outside world. State dignitaries and leaders of international organizations will be invited to attend the events and deliver speeches via video link and exchange policies and experience to jointly promote the prosperity and development of global trade in services and boost the recovery of the world economy.
Exhibitions and displays consist of comprehensive and themed exhibitions. Comprehensive exhibitions will be held in China National Convention Center, including trade in services achievements pavilion, countries and regions pavilions, provinces, autonomous regions and provincial-level cities' pavilions, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan pavilions, and a special digital service area. The exhibitions will mainly display the distinctive advantages and latest achievements of trade in services from relevant countries, regions, China's provinces, autonomous regions, and provincial-level cities and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. In the digital service area, visitors will see the latest progress, achievements, and latest application scenarios. Themed exhibitions will be held in Shougang Industrial Park, and enterprises' exhibitions focus on eight professional themes, including telecommunication, computer, and information services; financial services; cultural, tourism, educational services; sporting services; supply chain and business services; project consulting and construction services; and health and hygiene services. The exhibitions will fully demonstrate the new technologies, new models and new achievements scored under the circumstances where various fields have become more digital, interconnected and intelligent.
359 Enterprises Confirmed Their Participation in the Online and Offline Fair.
At present, investment attraction and exhibitor invitation are progressing smoothly. According to Yan Ligang, 138 overseas and China-based institutions from 105 countries and regions have planned to hold exhibitions online or offline, and the top 30 countries and regions in trade in services all send institutions to participate, involving 76 countries which have signed agreements with China to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative.
The work to invite exhibitors for the comprehensive exhibitions is going on well. 38 foreign countries and 5 international organizations have confirmed their participation in offline country exhibitions; 31 provinces, autonomous regions, provincial-level cities, 5 cities with independent planning status under the National Social and Economic Development, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have all confirmed their participation in the exhibitions and will set up trading delegations, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will continue to adopt the joint exhibition approach, Zhejiang and Shanxi will respectively serve as the guest province and theme province; 39 well-known domestic and foreign enterprises, such as Amazon, Canon, NEC, Alibaba and JD, have registered to take part in the digital services exhibition. The work to invite exhibitors for the special exhibitions has also been carried out across the board. All undertakers for the special exhibitions have been selected and determined in a market-oriented way. 359 enterprises have confirmed their online or offline participation in the exhibitions. Overall, 60% of the work to invite exhibitors for offline exhibitions has been completed, with the rate of inviting foreign exhibitors reaching 25%, of which 32 are among the Fortune Global 500 and 163 are industry leading enterprises, accounting for 54%.
"To yield more fruitful results in CIFTIS, we tried our hardest in 2020 and attained preferential tax policies for imported exhibits to sell during the exhibition period from the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration, the General Administration of Customs, and other authorities. This year, we will make further breakthroughs based on those of last year. We will take vigorous action and endeavor to unveil more powerful and easier to implement support policies on a regular basis for the CIFTIS to benefit more exhibitors and merchants." Yan Ligang said.
（Reporter: Ma Jing ）
