China’s Services Trade Races Ahead at 2026 CIFTIS
The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) opened in Beijing on September 9 with a pointed message: “invisible trade” — services that cannot be loaded onto a ship — is now the fastest-growing segment of global commerce. According to Xinhua News, the World Trade Organization (WTO) forecasts global services trade volume to grow 4.8% in 2026 under its baseline scenario, markedly outpacing the 1.9% growth projected for merchandise trade.
Held September 9–13 at Shougang Park under the theme “Global Services, Mutual Benefit and Sharing,” the fair brings together more than 40 countries and international organizations and over 250 enterprises and institutions. Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, delivered the keynote address at the Global Services Trade Summit on September 10.
A Structural Shift in Chinese Exports
The fair’s framing rests on a striking turn in China’s own trade data. China’s services imports and exports totaled RMB 3.78 trillion in the first half of 2026, up 8.3% year on year, with exports surging 17.6%, according to figures the Ministry of Commerce released in August. Knowledge-intensive services were the standout: their exports reached RMB 805.67 billion, up 12.8%, and accounted for 53.5% of all services exports for the first time — a share that analysts call a structural inflection point.
“The 53.5% share marks an important structural inflection point — China’s services exports have shifted from ‘physical labor’ to ‘brain work,’” said Jiang Han, a senior researcher at the Pangu Think Tank, as reported by 21jingji. Within that category, personal culture and entertainment services exports grew 57.2%, and intellectual property royalty and usage-fee exports rose 44.3%. “Digital content like games and short dramas keep hitting new highs in overseas markets, showing our innovations now have global monetization capacity,” Jiang said.
Ding’s Three-Point Proposal
Speaking at the summit, Ding outlined a three-part agenda for services trade. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs readout, he called for (1) high-quality development of the services sector to lift services trade to a new level, (2) inclusive progress that reduces barriers to cross-border factor flows and raises liberalization, and (3) digital-intelligence empowerment as a new engine — strengthening international cooperation on artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure connectivity.
“Services trade is an important part of international trade, playing an ever-greater role in promoting world economic growth and industrial upgrading,” Ding said, according to the MFA readout. He added that with the international economic and trade landscape accelerating its restructuring, developing services trade and advancing openness is “not only China’s choice but the world’s need.”
Ding also addressed the geopolitical backdrop directly. In the same 2026 readout, he said that “facing a clear rise in unilateralism and protectionism, China steadily advances institutional opening-up in services trade… opening up growth space for the world economy.” On artificial intelligence, he urged countries to “move with the trends of digitalization, networking and intelligence” and to strengthen international cooperation in AI and big data.
A Fair Built Around “Going Global”
The 2026 edition expands its focus on helping Chinese firms export. Four thematic zones — telecom/computer and information services, sports, transport and business services, and education — now host dedicated “going-global services” areas. For the first time, the fair features a “Going-Global Services Promotion Roadshow Area,” where financial, legal, accounting, intellectual property, advertising, and human-resources firms pitch their services to companies expanding abroad.
The fair’s structure reflects China’s broader effort to upgrade from “Made in China” to “Services from China.” Its nine thematic exhibition zones cover health and medical services, financial services, culture and tourism, education, sports, telecom and information, transport and business, and environmental services. Norway is the Guest Country of Honor, building a national pavilion around green energy, digital technology, and high-end nutrition, while Guangxi serves as Guest Province of Honor. A WIPO director-general and a WTO deputy director-general were among the international officials attending.
Headwinds and Structural Gaps
Beneath the optimistic framing, Chinese analysts flag real risks. The WTO’s 2026 forecast represents a downgrade for both goods and services growth, reflecting geopolitical tension. Jiang warned that “digital protectionism” and data-localization requirements in some countries directly constrain China’s digital services and IP exports, with “far greater uncertainty than goods trade.”
Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, noted that while Chinese services firms have stronger innovation capacity and competitiveness, they also provide more value to importers. On inbound tourism — where travel-service exports jumped 31.1% and foreign visitor arrivals rose 20.4% — Zhou observed that tourists’ purposes are diversifying beyond sightseeing into medical care, shopping, and experiential consumption.
Internal structural gaps remain, too. High-end professional services, finance, and insurance are still net-import sectors for China, mirroring the “chokepoint” challenges visible in goods trade.
What to Watch
The 2026 CIFTIS runs through September 13, with the first three days reserved for professional visitors and the last two open to the public. The fair will release several rankings and reports, including the World Tourism Cities Development Report and the 2026 APEC Smart City Ranking.
The larger question is whether China’s services export boom is durable. With knowledge-intensive services now claiming a majority of exports, the push to monetize Chinese digital content, patents, and professional services abroad is real — but so are the barriers arrayed against it. How Beijing navigates digital-protectionism headwinds while sustaining the momentum will determine whether “invisible trade” keeps running faster than the goods that built China’s export machine.