Nation's innovation ecosystem seen as key to boosting services export

China's accelerating digital transformation and continued consumption upgrading will drive faster growth in trade in services and create broader opportunities for both domestic and foreign enterprises, said business executives and government officials.

Speaking during the ongoing 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, they said wider market access and improving cross-border flows of data, capital and personnel are creating more room for companies to expand their presence and tap new opportunities in China's services market.

In contrast to goods trade, trade in services involves cross-border transactions in activities ranging from transportation and tourism to telecommunications, computing, advertising, accounting, banking and insurance.

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The 2026 CIFTIS, which runs through Sunday, has drawn participants from 90 countries, regions and international organizations. More than 1,800 companies — including Standard Chartered, KPMG, Schneider Electric and Decathlon — are exhibiting on-site.

Yan Dong, vice-minister of commerce, said China will step up efforts to cultivate new drivers of trade in services during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, as shifts in global industrial chains and accelerating digital and green transitions create new opportunities for the sector.

Daren Tang, director-general of the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization, said China has posted rapid growth in trade in services, with strong exports of knowledge-intensive services supported by the country's IP and innovation ecosystem.

From a business perspective, Wu Xuchu, vice-chairman of KPMG China, said China has become one of the world's most important growth markets for businesses worldwide, and a key testing ground for innovation.

The country has developed comprehensive industrial capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence applications, digital payments, optical communications, computing infrastructure and electrical equipment, Wu said.

Klaus Hoseth, CEO of Hoseth Technology, a Norwegian fish-processing firm, said his company is attending CIFTIS for the first time to seek partnerships with Chinese robotics and AI companies.

"China has strong capabilities in robotics and open-source AI. We see opportunities to apply these technologies to automate production, improve efficiency and make our factory operations more intelligent," Hoseth said.

Consumption upgrading and growing cross-border travel are also creating new opportunities for tourism and hospitality businesses.

Julien Munoz, chief commercial officer of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd — a Hong Kong-based group that owns and operates 12 Peninsula hotels worldwide — said Chinese consumers are displaying a growing appetite for outbound travel, while more international tourists are choosing China as a destination.

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"Modern luxury travelers also demand greater flexibility and seamless digital convenience alongside personalized hospitality," said Munoz. "To adapt, we leverage our signature 'Peninsula Time' policy, enabling flexible check-in and check-out. This service has proven particularly helpful in accommodating these evolving preferences for greater autonomy and adaptability."

China's vast market and fast-growing affluent consumer base offer strong long-term growth potential. Growing outbound travel by Chinese consumers and rising inbound tourist arrivals are creating new business opportunities for the luxury hotel group, he added.

At the policy level, the State Council — China's Cabinet — issued a guideline in April to expand capacity and improve the quality of China's services sector. By 2030, the country aims to make marked progress in the sector's high-quality growth, with the total scale of the sector exceeding 100 trillion yuan ($14.9 trillion) by then, while more competitive and influential "China services" brands will be cultivated.

Contact the writers at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn