2026 CIFTIS Opens Media Registration Ahead of September Fair
Media registration for the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) opened on August 10 and will remain available to journalists until August 26, according to Xinhua News. The annual services trade fair is scheduled to take place from September 9 to 13 at Shougang Park in Beijing.
Registration Details
Journalists can register online through the official CIFTIS website at www.ciftis.org by navigating to the media registration section, as Xinhua reported. Information on when and how to pick up interview credentials will be announced in the Media Center section of the official website in due time.
The five-day event will feature professional audience days for the first three days (September 9-11) and public open days for the final two days (September 12-13), as detailed by People’s Daily.
International Participation Expands
More than 40 countries and international organizations have confirmed they will stage exhibitions or host events under their national or headquarters names, according to ECNS. Over 250 enterprises and institutions will participate, including China Mobile, Bank of China, Tencent, COSCO Shipping, Walmart, Siemens, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson.
Norway has been named the guest country of honor for 2026, showcasing its strengths in green energy, digital technology, home wellness, and high-end nutrition. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will serve as the guest province of honor under the theme “Trade Enhances Guangxi’s Beauty,” highlighting achievements in digital services, cross-border e-commerce, and traditional Chinese medicine services.
The Global Trade in Services Summit will be held on September 9, co-hosted by UNCTAD, WIPO, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Beijing Municipal Government. Notably, WIPO joins as a co-host for the first time, increasing the number of international co-hosting organizations to two.
New Features and Venue Upgrades
This year’s fair will introduce a Going Global Service Promotion and Roadshow Zone for the first time, inviting financial, legal, accounting, intellectual property, and human resources institutions to present services that support Chinese enterprises expanding overseas. Four of the nine specialized exhibitions will set up dedicated going global service zones.
Shougang Park, the permanent CIFTIS venue, is undergoing significant upgrades. The former steel production base has been transformed into an integrated exhibition and cultural complex, and three venues are being renovated this year to expand exhibition space and meeting capacity, as China Daily reported. The revamped project integrates modern conference buildings with industrial relics, including four blast furnaces and a coke oven, creating dynamic outdoor spaces that blend industrial heritage with the fair’s exhibition venues.
Health Services Exhibition Highlights
The health services exhibition, held for the sixth consecutive year, will debut a Future Medical Technology Industry Frontier Exhibition Area, specifically accommodating eight innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in precision medicine and cell therapy, according to Yicai. Fortune 500 and leading industry enterprises account for 61.5 percent of health services exhibitors, with an internationalization rate of 56.6 percent. Twenty-two companies, including Takeda, will exhibit for the first time, while GE Healthcare, Mindray, AstraZeneca, and Tongrentang continue as returning exhibitors.
The Capital International Medical Conference will run from September 10-12, featuring a main forum and multiple parallel sessions. The Traditional Chinese Medicine exhibition will showcase an AI large model for TCM, including the Guangyi-Qizhi large model 2.0 from Guang’anmen Hospital, as reported by the Beijing Health Commission.
A Platform for Global Services Trade
Since its inception in 2012, CIFTIS has served as a crucial meeting point for global companies seeking opportunities in China’s service trade sector. In 2024 and 2025, 85 countries and international organizations set up exhibitions and hosted events at the fair. Nearly 20 forums and meetings will be organized by international organizations such as the WTO in 2026.
A CIFTIS promotion event was also held in Urumqi during the 9th China-Eurasia Expo, targeting Central Asian markets and expanding the fair’s reach in the region, as Beijing News reported.
What to Watch
As China steadily opens up its service sector and promotes a consumption shift toward services, the 2026 CIFTIS will serve as a key indicator of international engagement with China’s services market. Four ranking results will be released during the fair, including the World Tourism Cities Development Report, the 2026 APEC Smart City Ranking, the 2026 Space Infrastructure Ranking, and the China Urban Sci-Tech Innovation Development Report.
With media registration now underway and exhibitor participation confirmed at record levels, the September fair is poised to showcase the depth and breadth of China’s services trade ambitions on the global stage.