CIFTIS leads world to digital future, service-driven development

On Thursday, the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) kicked off at the National Convention Center and the Shougang Park in Beijing.

As the world’s largest comprehensive exhibition in the sphere of trade in services, this year’s CIFTIS attracted five more countries than its predecessor did. The ratio of international and Fortune Global 500 exhibitors also increased.

The theme of the six-day event is “Towards Digital Future and Service-Driven Development,” which is perfectly echoed by the exhibits displayed.

For example, a robotic dog that is able to perform inspection work at construction sites is exhibited at the CIFTIS. It sends inspection data to the backstage supporter and thus frees workers from the arduous inspection. All the workers have to do is analyze the data collected by the robotic dog. At present, some smart construction sites in Beijing have employed such robotic dog. Visitors to CIFTIS can meet such smart construction technologies at the event’s Digital Services Area.

Liu Qian, senior vice president of Glodon, a Chinese construction engineering informatization company, introduced that digitalization results in multiple fields, such as digital construction, engineering cost, designing, finance, supply chain, and government services will be comprehensively exhibited at the CIFTIS.

In recent years, high value-added trade in services experienced rapid growth, and digitalization-driven innovative services have brought huge impacts to service trade.

“This unmanned vehicle is able to read complicated traffic conditions and generate optimal route plans, and consumes only four KWh of electricity every 100 km,” said an employee of an exhibitor at the CIFTIS, adding that the vehicle can deliver 150 express parcels a day on average. The express delivery industry, focusing on service upgrading fueled by digitalization, will showcase its new businesses, products and images at this year’s CIFTIS.

China National Biotec Group (CNBG) of Sinopharm will exhibit a series of achievements in COVID-19 control at the Health Services section of the CIFTIS, including three COVID-19 vaccines and a neutralizing antibody test kit. Visitors can learn how a vaccine dose is produced through video clips of vaccine production bases played at the event.

So far, CNBG vaccines have been registered and sold in nine countries and approved for emergency use or market access by 98 countries, regions, and international organizations. Over 100 countries have requested for the use of CNBG vaccines, and the vaccines have been administered to nationals from 196 countries.

“Through the CIFTIS, we hope we can expand cooperation and serve the world with quality biological products to play a more positive role in building a global community of health for all,” said Zhang Yuntao, vice president of CNBG.

The Health Services section is set up for the first time at the CIFTIS this year. It includes six sub-sections of pandemic prevention and control, medical services, technological innovation, traditional Chinese medicine, elderly health, and international medical care.

Over 30 percent of the enterprises joining this section are Fortune Global 500 firms or industrial leaders, and 22 percent are from overseas, said Zheng Jinpu, an official from the Beijing Municipal Health Commission.

Being held at the National Convention Center, which has hosted previous sessions of the event, the CIFTIS this year also moved part of its exhibitions to the Shougang Park for the first time.

The industrial remains of the Shougang Park, an old industrial estate, including its workshops and pump houses, are transformed into meeting rooms, dining halls, and offices after being reinforced and modified, which is the biggest highlight of the venue.

It is believed that the 2021 CIFTIS will create more opportunities for the development of the world economy.