Beijing, September 9 (Zhongxin Finance, Gong Hongyu) "This is my first time attending CIFTIS, and I am amazed by its scale and the degree of participation of countries and companies around the world. I heard that there are a lot of interesting things about technological innovation at the trade fair, and I am going to explore them. Rodrigo Gomez, director of the Economic and Commercial Department of the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in China, said in an interview with Chinanews.com.
From September 9 to 2, the 6 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) with the theme of "Openness Leads Development, Win-Win Cooperation in the Future" was held in Beijing. As the first year that China has fully resumed offline exhibitions, this year's CIFTIS can be described as "international".
On September 9, the 2 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) opened in Beijing. Photo by China News Agency reporter Yi Haifei
A "London Bridge" is erected in the stadium
To say that the most "eye-catching" design of the national exhibition area of the National Convention Center this year is the "scaled-down" version of London Bridge in the British National Pavilion. Looking at the museum along the bridge, the British style on the banks of the Thames seems to have come to your face.
As the guest of honour at this year's CIFTIS, the UK not only ingeniously designed this model of the tower bridge symbolizing Sino-British communication, but also sent the largest business delegation in the past four years to participate in the exhibition.
"I am very pleased that the UK can be the guest of honour at this year's CIFTIS and witness the rapid development of services trade in China." Dominic Johnson, Secretary of State for Commerce and Trade, said at the opening ceremony of the British National Pavilion that cooperation between the UK and China in investment and trade is very important for both countries, and China has become the UK's second largest trading partner, and the two countries have strong economic and trade cooperation.
"There is no doubt that the two countries need to further expand their cooperation in the commercial field. The UK welcomes Chinese companies to invest in the UK, and China is also an important investment destination for UK companies. I hope to see the two countries continue to expand cooperation in the future, including electronics, electric vehicles, tourism and other fields. Johnson said.
It is understood that during the CIFTIS, 60 companies and organizations such as AstraZeneca, HSBC, British Petroleum and Standard Chartered Bank will conduct policy dialogues with their Chinese counterparts to seek more cooperation opportunities.
The opening ceremony of the UK National Pavilion at CIFTIS 2023. Photo by Gong Hongyu
When I first arrived at CIFTIS, I felt that it was "amazing"
From Peruvian alpaca pendants, to Pakistani silk carpets, to Liechtenstein stamps, many products that were acclaimed at previous CIFTIS are coming to audiences again this year. In addition, this year, seven countries and international organizations, including Georgia and Sudan, set up exhibitions at CIFTIS for the first time in the name of the country and headquarters, and the "circle of friends" of CIFTIS continued to expand.
If you're tired walking around the venue, spectators can sit on comfortable Norwegian log chairs and drink a complimentary glass of Georgian wine accompanied by the Hanbok music show at the Korea Pavilion. In addition, you can also visit various refreshing scientific and technological achievements brought by Chinese and foreign enterprises such as 5G, AI, and large models.
As Argentina's representative of the CIFTIS, Gomez told Chinanews.com that although he only "entered the pavilion" for half a day to participate in the CIFTIS for the first time, he was already surprised by the scale of the CIFTIS and the participation of countries and companies in the CIFTIS around the world. CIFTIS is a very important opportunity, not only the Chinese market is paying attention, but also relevant global counterparts are paying attention.
"If you want to describe how you feel about CIFTIS, it's 'amazing'. Listening to my friends persuade that there will be a lot of interesting things about technological innovation at the trade fair, I am ready to explore it as soon as possible. Gomez said.
Rodrigo Gomez, head of the Economic and Commercial Department of the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in China, was interviewed by Chinanews.com. Photo by Gong Hongyu
Opening up to promote development Foreign exhibitors are optimistic about new opportunities in the Chinese market
CIFTIS is a business card of China's opening to the outside world. At this year's exhibition, many foreign exhibitors repeatedly mentioned the keyword also open.
"I have been in China since 2007 and have witnessed China's prosperity. Many Italian companies invest here, and Italian companies believe in China's vast domestic market. Paolo Paschoni, president of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with Chinanews.com.
Pasoni said he hoped that China would continue to open its market this year and introduce more stimulus measures to promote consumption recovery, while Italian companies also hoped to continue to invest in China and create value.
Gomez said the development of e-commerce platforms in China offers great opportunities for Argentine companies, such as wine companies. He believes that there is still a lot of room for growth for Argentine companies in the future, and expects China to provide more opportunities for Argentine companies.
"Needless to say, the friendship between Pakistan and China is 'Pakistan Railway'." Bushra Naz, a staff member of Pakistan's National Logistics Center (NLC), told Chinanews.com that the "Belt and Road" initiative has brought new opportunities to his company's NLC business, and with the increasing level of openness of the "Belt and Road" in the future, he hopes that NLC can provide more logistics services for China, Pakistan and countries along the route. (End)