Foreign diplomats and international business leaders expect this year's China International Fair for Trade in Services to create new market opportunities and partnerships. The five-day event, which opens in Beijing on Wednesday, brings together exhibitors from 90 countries, regions and international organizations.

CIFTIS 2026, running through Sunday at Shougang Park, brings together more than 1,800 companies. Norway, this year's guest country of honor, is presenting a national pavilion featuring marine industries, nutrition, agriculture, energy, health, digital services, tourism and other areas.

"CIFTIS opens up opportunities for Norwegian companies to expand their business channels and forge partnerships," said Vebjorn Dysvik, Norwegian ambassador to China.

He said business and trade ties between China and Norway are strong, underpinned by close links between companies and regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Henning Kristoffersen, commercial counselor at the Norwegian embassy in China, said platforms such as CIFTIS are becoming increasingly important because they enable Norwegian and other international companies to showcase their products and brands.

He described Norway's guest-country-of-honor role as a strategic opportunity to demonstrate how its companies create value through expertise, innovation, design and digital capabilities. The country's participation, he said, is intended to shift cooperation from individual products to integrated solutions and from one-off trade to durable partnerships.

For overseas businesses, that openness can translate into sustained market connections. Norwegian dietary and nutritional brand NYO3 is attending CIFTIS for the fifth consecutive year as part of the Norwegian pavilion. The company said the fair has helped it build market connections and expand cooperation channels in China. It expects this year's event to bring it closer to both business partners and consumers as it deepens its presence in the country.

Gianni Di Giovanni, vice-president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and chairman of Eni China BV, said the fair also offers European businesses a venue to explore opportunities and discuss practical issues affecting the business environment.

Services trade is becoming increasingly strategic, he said, not only as an engine of growth but also as a driver of innovation, connectivity and international cooperation.

Di Giovanni pointed to substantial untapped potential for China-Europe cooperation in green development, artificial intelligence, healthcare, life sciences, sustainable mobility, advanced manufacturing and digital services. At the same time, he called for continued dialogue on market access, regulatory transparency, cross-border data flows and the mutual recognition of standards.

"This is precisely why platforms like CIFTIS are so important," Di Giovanni said. "They create opportunities not only for business meetings, but also for trust, understanding and long-term partnerships."

For international participants, the fair's appeal lies in its ability to combine visibility with commercial opportunities. Diplomats and business leaders expect CIFTIS to help companies find partners, reach consumers and better understand the Chinese market, while providing a channel for dialogue on business conditions. As global trade flows and supply chains are reshaped, they see practical cooperation and long-term trust as central to the platform's value.

fanzitong@chinadaily.com.cn