On the afternoon of September 3, the Forum on Emerging Trends in the Opening-up and Development of the Trade in Services was held at the China National Convention Center during the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). Mr. Ma Jiantang, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Development Research Center (DRC) of the State Council, Mr. Yu Jianhua, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Commerce and Vice Minister of Commerce and China International Trade Representative, Mr. Wang Anshun, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice President of the DRC of the State Council, and Mr. Wei Xiaodong, Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group of Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC, attended the event.
Mr. Ma Jiantang stressed that global trade in services has become increasingly important in promoting economic growth and improving global value chains in recent years. The rapid development of digital trade has been pushing forward the cooperation of trade in services, which is of great significance for building consensus, overcoming challenges, and achieving economic recovery. Countries across the world should fully recognize the importance of developing trade in services, strengthen mutual trust, and deepen the openness and development of trade in services. Countries need to respond to the call for more IT application, digitization, and adoption of digital technologies, seize the emerging opportunities brought by the information technology revolution and industrial transformation, and exchange with each other to promote the development of and cooperation in digital trade by finding common grounds while shelving differences. In the meantime, countries should join forces to fight the pandemic and speed up building a global community of health for all to eliminate the gap of epidemic control and immunization. Lastly, countries should pool wisdom, facilitate the exchanges of think tanks, and strengthen the leading role of think tanks.
When addressing the forum, Mr. Yu Jianhua said that under the impact of Covid-19, trade in services has shown new trends and features such as new impetuses brought about by digital empowerment, new engines activated by technological empowerment, and new spaces expanded by rule empowerment. During the 14th FYP period, trade in services will welcome an era of high-quality development in wider areas. We will further open up, learn experience from pilot program of innovation-driven development in trade in services and use the pilot to drive the formation of a new paradigm of comprehensive opening up. We will further expand the space of openness and actively help Chinese services go global, expand technology exports, and make full use of platforms such as the CIFTIS to promote exchanges and cooperation. We will make further alignment with international rules and actively participate in the formulation of international rules of trade in services. We need to meet the new requirements and face the new challenges of trade in services jointly.
Mr. Wei Xiaodong, in his speech, said that President Xi Jinping announced at CIFTIS last year that Beijing is supported in developing a national integrated demonstration zone for further opening up the services sector and pilot free trade zone. Over the past year, Beijing has vigorously promoted the launching of a number of national new policies and projects and kept a high growth rate in the digital economy, highlighting the city's strengths in developing trade in services. The development of a new development paradigm of dual circulation has been expedited. We will continue to study and act on the instructions given by President Xi Jinping in his remarks at the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2021 CIFTIS by vigorously implementing policies of the "Two Zones", making institutional innovations, pushing forward the openness of the entire industry chain and reform of all aspects in key areas, and striving to achieve progress in the competitiveness of both the service sector and the international trade in services.
Long Guoqiang, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice President of the DRC of the State Council, delivered a keynote speech. This forum was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the Development Research Center of the State Council, and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality under the theme of "Starting a New Journey for High-quality Development of Trade in Services." Leaders from the Global 500 and other multinational companies and representatives of international organizations and institutions were invited to attend the forum and deliver speeches in person and online.
(Article: Wu Hongli)
