On September 2nd, the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services was held in Beijing. President Xi Jinping delivered a video message at the Summit. Han Zheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the Summit and declared the CIFTIS open.

Later that night, Han Zheng, Hu Chunhua, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Cai Qi, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, attended the Summit offline in Beijing while leaders of relevant countries and heads of international organizations joined the meeting online. At about 8:50 pm, Han Zheng declared the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services open.

Before the meeting started, Han Zheng, Hu Chunhua and Cai Qi inspected the venues of the Fair and talked to the heads of the exhibitors. According to Han Zhang, open cooperation of the service industry plays an important role in promoting development as well as the recovery and growth of the world economy. The Chinese government welcomes enterprises around the world to invest in China and will further liberalize market access. We are committed to enhancing the protection of intellectual properties and building a market-oriented and international business environment governed by law. Han expressed hope that everyone could seize the opportunity to actively develop the market for mutual benefit and make greater contributions to China's new development paradigm.

Hu Chunhua hosted the Summit. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Prime Minister of Vietnam Phạm Minh Chính, OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, UNCTAD Assistant Secretary-General Isabelle Durant and WTO Deputy Director-General Anabel González delivered their video messages respectively.

Around 500 people attended the Summit in Beijing offline, including members of the organizing committee of CIFTIS, comrades from relevant central departments, heads of trade missions of provinces (districts and cities), comrades in charge of Chinese enterprises and agency representatives, representatives of foreign diplomatic envoys and international organizations in China and representatives of foreign business associations and foreign enterprises in China.

Themed "Towards Digital Future and Service-driven Development", the 2021 CIFTIS focused on the digital economy, digital trade and other issues and held around 200 forums and business talks through a combination of online and offline meetings.

(Article: Wen Xin, Ji Ning)