Across the Biz Board
Annual trade in services fair calls for opening up and cooperation
An inspiring roundtable discussion took place on 4 September. Liu Meiying, one of the top officials with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, introduced the basic information of the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Integrated National Development Zone for Opening up the Service Sector, as well as the two zones’ pioneering and innovative policies. She then took questions from several representatives from a dozen chambers of commerce in China.
These business leaders called for more concrete measures in Beijing and across China to implement the 24-Point Guideline. On 13 August, China issued the guideline to further optimise the foreign investment environment and strengthen efforts, including 24 specific measures in six aspects, to attract foreign investment. For example, the government will provide convenience for foreign executives, technical personnel and their families in terms of entry, exit and residence in the country, the document reads.
Trade and investment sometimes depend on individual experiences, Rex Chen, CEO of the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce, said at the roundtable, adding he hoped to see more opening-up measures in the months to come.
The roundtable was part of the 10th China InboundOutbound Forum hosted by the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG), a Beijing-based think tank, on the sidelines of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).
The CIFTIS is the largest specialised fair of its kind in the world. Themed Opening up Leads Development, Cooperation Delivers the Future, the 2023 CIFTIS took place in Beijing from 2 to 6 September and featured over 200 events, including forums, negotiations and meetings. More than 1,100 outcomes were achieved this year, according to organisers.
Eighty-three countries and international organisations participated in the fair, and more than 2,400 and 6,700 companies took part in offline and online exhibitions, respectively. Unlike trade in goods, trade in services refers to the sale and delivery of intangible products