Online-offline CIFTIS on course for September opening

Preparations are well underway for the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), one of the largest trade shows in the world, being held online and offline this year from September 2 to 7 in Beijing, according to its organizing committee.

The fair will be held at China National Convention Center and Shougang Industrial Park, covering a total exhibition areas of nearly 130,000 square meters, said Zhang Haocheng, an official from the organizing committee.

More than 100 forums, seminars and promotional activities are being arranged for during the six-day fair, he added.

Zhang made the remarks at a promotional roadshow event in Shenzhen, Guangdong province early last week.

Shenzhen, one of the most developed cities in China, will set up an exhibition area of 100 square meters in each of the two venues of the fair this year, said officials from the city's commerce department.

The southern Chinese metropolis has organized some 200 of its companies to attend the CIFTIS over the years, with accumulative transactions reaching about 1.2 billion yuan ($185.6 million), according to partial statistics.

Themed around a digital future and service-led development, Zhang said this year's session will ride the global trend of digital economy and carbon neutralization and highlight the role of cooperation in services in promoting the world economic recovery.

The global trade in services summit is one of the most important events of the fair, which will convey the message of the Chinese government's determination to opening wider to the outside world, said Zhang.

Foreign government dignitaries as well as leaders of international organizations will be invited to the summit to deliver speeches online, sharing their policies and experiences in the sector globally, he noted.

The fair, hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing government, has been held since 2012. This year is the first time that an exhibition area has been set up at the capital's Shougang Industrial Park.

The industrial park is the former home of Shougang Steel – one of China's largest steelmakers. The site has been renovated transforming the old industrial workshops and pump houses into meeting rooms, offices, galleries and dining areas for the fair.