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Chinas 2026 CIFTIS Opens in Beijing, Drawing 1,800+ Exhibitors and 90 Nations
The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) opened on September 9, 2026, at Shougang Park in Beijing’s Shijingshan District. The event, which will run through September 13, attracted more than 1,830 companies, including 473 firms listed on the Fortune Global 500, and representatives from 90 countries, regions and international organizations.
CIFTIS is co‑hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Beijing Municipal People’s Government. It is one of China’s four major national‑level trade fairs, alongside the Canton Fair, the China International Import Expo and the China International Consumer Products Expo. The fair focuses on trade in services, covering sectors such as finance, tourism, education, healthcare, and digital technology.
The 2026 edition is organized around four thematic sections: open integration, win‑win cooperation, digital and intelligent innovation, and green development. Nearly 100 conferences and forums will be held, and more than 100 business‑matching and promotion events will connect exhibitors with potential partners.
In addition to the exhibition space, the fair features 11 business inspection routes that combine investment promotion with cultural‑tourism experiences. Shougang Park has been transformed into a “convention and exhibition town,” hosting 74 supporting activities that showcase the local industrial heritage and the park’s redevelopment.
A new element for this year is a dedicated promotion and roadshow area for overseas expansion services. The area will host 41 events aimed at helping Chinese firms expand abroad and at attracting foreign companies to invest in China’s service sector.
The fair’s opening ceremony was attended by officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing municipal government. While no statements were released in the sources, the event’s scale and the breadth of participation underscore China’s continued emphasis on expanding its service‑trade footprint.
CIFTIS has been held annually since 2012, originally known as the Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services. The name was changed to China International Fair for Trade in Services in 2019, and the abbreviation CIFTIS was adopted in 2020.
The Shougang Park venue, formerly a steel mill, was redeveloped into an exhibition and cultural space. The park’s transformation aligns with Beijing’s broader urban renewal strategy, which also saw the construction of the Big Air Shougang ski venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The fair’s focus on digital and intelligent innovation reflects China’s broader digital‑transformation agenda, which includes the Digital Silk Road initiative and the deployment of 5G, cloud, and AI infrastructure worldwide.
Green development is another key theme, with the Environment and Energy Services Section hosting more than ten conferences and forums on sustainable practices and green technologies.
The 2026 CIFTIS is expected to generate significant business‑matching opportunities for both domestic and international participants. The fair’s organizers have highlighted the event’s role in fostering cross‑border cooperation and in promoting China’s service‑trade reforms.
As the fair continues through September 13, participants will have the chance to engage in the planned conferences, forums, and business‑matching sessions. The event’s outcomes will likely influence investment flows and service‑trade agreements in the coming months.
The fair’s success will be measured by the number of agreements signed, the volume of investment commitments, and the extent to which the 41 overseas‑expansion events attract foreign investors. The organizers will report on these metrics in the post‑fair review.
The 2026 CIFTIS demonstrates China’s ongoing commitment to expanding its service‑trade sector, leveraging digital innovation, and promoting sustainable development while engaging a broad international community.
CIFTIS is co‑hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Beijing Municipal People’s Government. It is one of China’s four major national‑level trade fairs, alongside the Canton Fair, the China International Import Expo and the China International Consumer Products Expo. The fair focuses on trade in services, covering sectors such as finance, tourism, education, healthcare, and digital technology.
The 2026 edition is organized around four thematic sections: open integration, win‑win cooperation, digital and intelligent innovation, and green development. Nearly 100 conferences and forums will be held, and more than 100 business‑matching and promotion events will connect exhibitors with potential partners.
In addition to the exhibition space, the fair features 11 business inspection routes that combine investment promotion with cultural‑tourism experiences. Shougang Park has been transformed into a “convention and exhibition town,” hosting 74 supporting activities that showcase the local industrial heritage and the park’s redevelopment.
A new element for this year is a dedicated promotion and roadshow area for overseas expansion services. The area will host 41 events aimed at helping Chinese firms expand abroad and at attracting foreign companies to invest in China’s service sector.
The fair’s opening ceremony was attended by officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing municipal government. While no statements were released in the sources, the event’s scale and the breadth of participation underscore China’s continued emphasis on expanding its service‑trade footprint.
CIFTIS has been held annually since 2012, originally known as the Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services. The name was changed to China International Fair for Trade in Services in 2019, and the abbreviation CIFTIS was adopted in 2020.
The Shougang Park venue, formerly a steel mill, was redeveloped into an exhibition and cultural space. The park’s transformation aligns with Beijing’s broader urban renewal strategy, which also saw the construction of the Big Air Shougang ski venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The fair’s focus on digital and intelligent innovation reflects China’s broader digital‑transformation agenda, which includes the Digital Silk Road initiative and the deployment of 5G, cloud, and AI infrastructure worldwide.
Green development is another key theme, with the Environment and Energy Services Section hosting more than ten conferences and forums on sustainable practices and green technologies.
The 2026 CIFTIS is expected to generate significant business‑matching opportunities for both domestic and international participants. The fair’s organizers have highlighted the event’s role in fostering cross‑border cooperation and in promoting China’s service‑trade reforms.
As the fair continues through September 13, participants will have the chance to engage in the planned conferences, forums, and business‑matching sessions. The event’s outcomes will likely influence investment flows and service‑trade agreements in the coming months.
The fair’s success will be measured by the number of agreements signed, the volume of investment commitments, and the extent to which the 41 overseas‑expansion events attract foreign investors. The organizers will report on these metrics in the post‑fair review.
The 2026 CIFTIS demonstrates China’s ongoing commitment to expanding its service‑trade sector, leveraging digital innovation, and promoting sustainable development while engaging a broad international community.
