What does CIFTIS 2026 leave behind after just 5 days?
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A CIFTIS display at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS 2026) at Beijing's Shougang Park, held from September 9 to 13, 2026. /VCG
The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) concluded on September 13 at Shougang Park in Beijing. Over five days, 90 countries and international organizations, more than 1,800 companies, and 473 Fortune Global 500 and industry-leading enterprises gathered here, with over 190 forums and business matchmaking events held intensively.
As the exhibition booths are dismantled and the crowds disperse, what has this year's CIFTIS truly left behind?
On September 10, during the "Beijing Day" series of events, 36 projects were signed at the "Invest in Beijing" promotion conference, with a total value of 44 billion yuan ($6.1 billion). Beijing's Chaoyang District, home to the largest number of foreign-invested enterprises in the city, ranked first in the city with 6 key projects and a signing scale of 11 billion yuan, covering sectors including advanced intelligent manufacturing, AI computing infrastructure, brain-computer interfaces, pharmaceutical and health funds, and smart cultural tourism.
The list of debuts at this year's CIFTIS is equally substantial. Over 200 new products and achievements were released during the exhibition, more than 100 of which were global or China debuts. On September 11 alone, 37 companies and institutions released 81 new achievements.
In the medical field, a medical ultrasound AI large model was exhibited for the first time at a major public event.
In the information and communications technology sector, China's three major telecom operators demonstrated how they are taking their AI token business global—moving beyond laying cables to exporting intelligence. Their AI agents—China Telecom's TeleAgent, China Mobile's MobileClaw, and China Unicom's UniClaw—made their collective debut, alongside 10 service packages covering multimodal AI token services, computing-power empowerment for manufacturing, AI quality inspection, and secure cross-border data circulation.
According to a PwC report released in June, China ranks among the global leaders in effectively applying AI across the real economy. More overseas clients are now incorporating China's open-source AI ecosystem into their digital upgrades.
The 2026 CIFTIS officially opens in Beijing on September 9, 2026, featuring immersive experiences that draw long queues at interactive booths. /CGTN
The structural changes hidden in the data may be the deeper signal this CIFTIS has left behind.
According to Ministry of Commerce, China's total services imports and exports reached 3.8 trillion yuan in the first half of 2026, up 8.3% year on year. Service exports grew by 17.6%, becoming a key driver of foreign trade growth. More notably, the structure has changed: Exports of intellectual property royalties, financial services, transport services, and telecommunications, computer and information services grew by 44.3%, 25.9%, 25.4%, and 10.9%, respectively. Knowledge-intensive services accounted for 53.5% of the total services exports, up 3% from the end of 2025.
This indicates China's services trade is migrating toward higher value-added and more technology-intensive segments, as per Zhao Ruojin, associate researcher at the Institute of International Trade in Services at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
The transport and business services exhibition area of the CIFTIS sets up a "Going Global Services" zone for the first time in Beijing on September 11, 2026. /VCG
The deeper change, beyond selling services, is that Chinese companies are exporting integrated technologies and full-lifecycle solutions that help make other countries' industries more competitive, more efficient, and more sustainable. That may be the most thought-provoking takeaway from the five-day CIFTIS.
