2023-09-05 03:58:18
Peking (ots/PRNewswire) – With the opening of the International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) 2023 in Beijing on Saturday, the country has shown the world its unwavering commitment to wider opening-up in services and its firm determination to further promote global economic recovery.
In a video address at the CIFTIS 2023 Global Trade in Services Summit on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work with all countries and parties to promote inclusive development through openness, promote connectivity and integration through cooperation, inspire development through innovation and to create a better future through joint services, in order to put the world economy on the path to sustainable recovery together.
Under the motto “openness leads to development, cooperation creates a win-win future”, CIFTIS 2023 will be held in the Chinese capital from September 2nd to 6th.
A more inclusive environment
Since its launch in 2012, CIFTIS has attracted a total of over 600,000 exhibitors from 196 countries and regions. This year, guests from 59 countries and 24 international organizations are taking part in the fair. More than 500 Global Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders will showcase their achievements at CFITI 2023, bringing the overall internationalization rate to 20 percent.
In his video address, President Xi stressed that China will make its development environment more open and inclusive.
“We will expand the global network of free trade zones with high standards, actively participate in the negotiation of the trade in services and investment negative list, and further open ourselves in service areas such as telecommunications, tourism, law and professional examinations. Our national integrated demonstration zone for more openness in the service sector, as well as the pilot free trade zones and free trade ports in question, will be the first to align their policies with the high standards of international economic and trade rules,” Xi said.
He added that China will expand access to its service sector, open up cross-border trade in services in an orderly manner, improve the degree of standardization of services trade, and steadily expand institutional openness.
China’s State Council unveiled guidelines in mid-August with 24 specific measures to further optimize China’s foreign investment environment and boost foreign investment inflows.
These measures include expanding pilot areas to expand service offerings, encouraging foreign companies and their R&D centers to carry out larger scientific and technical projects, facilitating the travel of executives, technicians and their families, and enhancing the professional knowledge of staff in the local government departments responsible for foreign investments.
Amid rising unilateralism, protectionism and de-globalization, China continues to open up and optimize its business environment by expanding its “friend circle” in trade services. China has service trade relations with nearly 240 countries and regions, and has signed bilateral service trade cooperation agreements with 14 countries.
Path of innovation-driven development
More than 60 companies and institutions will present a series of new products and technologies in artificial intelligence, financial technology, medicine and healthcare, and cultural creation at CIFITS 2023, giving new impetus to the development of the service sector.
Xi noted on Saturday that China will improve the path of innovation-led development.
“China will move faster to cultivate new impetus for the digitization of trade in services, pilot reform of basic systems for data, and promote the development of digital trade through reform and innovation,” Xi said.
He added that China will push ahead with the integrated development of service trade with modern service industries, high-end manufacturing and modern agriculture to unleash more innovative power.
China has pushed ahead with trying to innovatively develop trade in services in all areas. For example, the country has set up Silk Road e-commerce cooperation pilot zones and created national demonstration zones for innovative development of trade in services to promote innovation in trade and promote high-quality cooperation in the new Silk Road.
The digitization of trade in services was further accelerated. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, trade in digitally rendered services grew 12.3 percent year on year in the first half of this year, 3.8 percentage points faster than total trade in services.
At the end of his remarks, Xi called on all parties to work together to uphold hard-won free trade and the multilateral trading system, share in the historic opportunities of the development of global trade in services, and work together for a better and more prosperous future of the world.
Questions & contact:
Simin Jiang,
jiang.simin@cgtn.com
1693886970
#CGTN #Starting #signal #CIFTIS #China #open #world