Intl service trade fair to open in September

The 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services will open on Sept 10 at Beijing's Shougang Park, where about 200 achievements are expected to be showcased, a senior official said on Thursday.

Starting this year, the fair will be held annually on the second Wednesday of September at the park in Beijing's Shijingshan district, said Zhao Qizhou, director of the Beijing International Trade in Services Center, at a news conference.

"Companies such as Alibaba, Schneider, KPMG and GE Healthcare have already applied to present their digital, green and smart products and achievements at this year's fair," Zhao said.

Over 30 countries and regions, including Norway and Japan, as well as international organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, have expressed interest in participating, he added. The event, which was first held in 2012, will run for five days this year and will feature both themed and special exhibitions.

The themed section will host guest countries, guest provinces, international organizations and key nations, with Australia set to serve as the guest country. Australia is assembling the largest delegation in the fair's history.

"Australia is working with its partners to bring nearly 60 companies and institutions as part of its exhibition delegation. They will set up a 360-square-meter booth, the largest among all previous guest countries in both size and number of participants," Zhao said.

Australia also plans to present a "Chimney Light Show" and immersive cultural experiences at Shougang Park, along with business receptions and interactive events to promote integration across culture, commerce, tourism and sports.

Anhui province, as the guest province, will highlight its latest developments in technological innovation and the service industry.

The special exhibitions will focus on integrated development in services trade, featuring nine themed areas including telecommunications, computing and information services, financial services, cultural tourism and education. New technologies such as digital tools and artificial intelligence will be showcased for their role in advancing the sector.

Organizers will also enhance the fair's digital platform and ticketing services this year, introducing a smart assistant powered by the DeepSeek model to offer bilingual Q&A and personalized services.

Previously held at both the China National Convention Center and Shougang Park, the event will now be held solely at Shougang Park starting this year.

A 3-square-kilometer area in the park, which used to be a major steel plant, is being transformed into an industrial-themed exhibition town. Organizers said the venue will offer a garden-style exhibition space this year, combining modern pavilions with preserved industrial relics.

Yu Jie, deputy mayor of Shijingshan district, said the district has launched studies and planning for the park's northern zone, aiming to build permanent venues and support facilities to establish Shougang Park as a multifunctional "exhibition town" with integrated spaces for exhibitions, leisure, shopping and accommodation.

"We welcome top domestic and international exhibition organizers and professional service agencies to join in planning, promoting and designing the 'exhibition town' project," Yu said.

This year's conference space will total about 18,100 square meters to meet the needs of forums and other events, said Jiang Nan, deputy general manager of Shougang Group Co.

"We will construct a garden-style exhibition space this year," Jiang said, highlighting the combination of industrial heritage and natural landscapes.

The exhibition space will include themed venues, public service areas, green zones and flexible open spaces designed to foster a modern yet historically grounded environment.

As a leading global event for the services trade, CIFTIS offers companies around the world a platform to showcase their capabilities and explore collaboration opportunities.