China’s services trade grew 8.3% in the first half of 2026 as CIFTIS 2026 prepares to showcase new services and global opportunities.
According to Yan Dong, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce, the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will be held at Shougang Park in Beijing from September 9th to 13th. Preparations for the event are now largely complete.
New “China Services” Zone to Debut at CIFTIS
At a press conference on August 28th, Yan said that this year’s CIFTIS will feature a dedicated “China Services” zone for the first time. The section will showcase innovative achievements and typical cases in trade in services from different regions across China.
For the first time, several themed exhibitions will also include dedicated “Going Global” zones. These zones will provide professional support for Chinese companies expanding overseas and help bring more high-quality Chinese services to global markets.
More than 90 companies and institutions will unveil new achievements, according to Yan. Innovative technologies, products and services from several sectors will make their global debuts.
Nearly 100 conferences and other activities will also be held, providing a platform for countries around the world to discuss and promote the liberalisation and facilitation of trade in services.
More than 1,800 companies will exhibit offline. Norway will be the Guest Country of Honour, while China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will be the Guest Province of Honour.
Three Major Features of China’s Trade in Services
The upcoming fair comes as China’s trade in services continues to post strong growth.
According to the latest data released by China’s Ministry of Commerce on August 28th, China’s total trade in services reached 3.8 trillion yuan in the first half of 2026, up 8.3% year on year. Service exports surged 17.6%, emerging as a major driver of foreign trade growth.
Yan highlighted three major features of China’s trade in services.
First, travel service exports grew rapidly. Policies such as visa-free entry, tax refunds for departing visitors and improved payment convenience have boosted inbound consumption. According to the National Immigration Administration of China, 22.914 million foreign nationals entered China in the first half of the year, up 20.4% year on year. This helped drive travel service exports to 229.2 billion yuan, a sharp 31.1% increase.
Second, producer services provided strong momentum for exports. Manufacturing and services are becoming more closely integrated. Exports of intellectual property royalties, financial services, transport services, and computer and information services all posted double-digit growth in the first half. Knowledge-intensive services accounted for 53.5% of total service exports, up 3 percentage points from the end of 2025.
Third, cultural service exports gained strong momentum. Digital cultural products such as online literature, audio-visual content and games are rapidly expanding overseas. Exports of personal cultural and recreational services surged 57.2% year on year in the first half, outpacing other service-export segments.
The upcoming CIFTIS is expected to further showcase China’s growing strengths in services and create new opportunities for international cooperation.
Written by Sha Liu, additional reporting by CNS and HKCNA.
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