It's really not a clothing trade fair, Qianbi Tower | This "clothing trade fair" | China | Trade Fair

"I've been waiting to see nice clothes, fabrics from various countries, and so on, but the news says that the Service Trade Fair is a service trade fair, not a clothing trade fair. I'm being careless!"

These posts that treat "service trade" as "clothing trade" are more like jokes made by netizens. But these comments and comments have given a deep sense of history and a touch of warm fireworks to the ongoing Service Trade Fair in Beijing.

This is the Shougang Park of the 2023 Service Trade Fair, filmed on August 31st. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ren Chao

From "clothing trade" to "service trade", the word "difference" represents decades of optimization and transformation in foreign trade structure; The word "change" refers to the transformation and upgrading of the development model of a major country.

"Invisible" yet ubiquitous, "intangible" yet omnipresent

First, let me summarize the background of the Service Trade Fair for everyone:

The full name of the China International Fair for Trade in Services is the China International Fair for Trade in Services, founded in 2012. Originally called the China International Fair for Trade in Services, abbreviated as the "Beijing Fair", it was renamed the China International Fair for Trade in Services in 2019, and in 2020, its abbreviation was also changed from the "Beijing Fair" to the "Service Trade Fair".

Nowadays, the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), as one of the three major exhibition platforms for China's opening up to the outside world, has become the world's largest comprehensive service trade exhibition.

This is an outdoor shot of the National Convention Center taken on September 1st. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xin

Why hold a trade fair for services that cannot be seen or touched?

For example, exporting a car is a traditional trade of goods, but if the car can push autonomous driving assistance services to consumers through the cloud, it is based on digital service trade.

For example, a few dollars can send a single shipment from China to the United States, and placing an order for Rwandan coffee beans can take two to three days to receive the goods. These are all thanks to digital logistics platforms, which can connect global producers and consumers at a lower cost.

In fact, from cultural and creative derivatives to tourism services, from medical technology to autonomous driving, from financial payments to digital trade, more than 2400 global enterprises gathered at this service trade fair to participate offline, giving the "invisible" service trade a definite appearance: it can be an immersive experience exhibition of outdoor light and shadow art with "all things coexisting", a theme hard wallet with "Three Thousand Miles in Chang'an", or a robot industry automation solution

In short, although "intangible", service trade does indeed exist in the clothing, food, housing, and transportation of each and every one of us. It is "everything", inseparable and full of imagination. This Service Trade Fair is a global service trade show that includes services such as finance, telecommunications, tourism, law, and digital.

What is "clothing"? What is "service"?

When it comes to the Fair for Trade in Services, so many people subconsciously think of "clothing trade". This is probably not a simple misunderstanding, but more likely related to the deep emotional attachment of clothing trade in the hearts of Chinese people.

Looking back, China's foreign trade, represented by the clothing industry, relied on cost advantages such as manpower and land to gradually compete in the market and forge ahead, gradually becoming a high-quality target customer for international top purchasers.

For decades, clothing trade has always been the "leading flower" in China's foreign trade, and together with furniture and household appliances, it is known as the "old three types of foreign trade". It has long been sought after by the international market and is a "hero" who has created a solid foundation for China's foreign trade. Domestic established foreign trade exhibitions such as the Canton Fair and the China International Fair all consider clothing trade as an important component.

But over the years, low profit margins, high substitutability, and weak customer stickiness have always plagued Chinese clothing foreign trade enterprises.

Since entering the new era, China's clothing trade has gradually moved towards both ends of the smiling curve of the industrial chain. The "clothing industry" empowered by digital and intelligent "service industries" has begun to break away from labor-intensive attributes and transform into a technology intensive high value-added industry.

On September 2nd, at the Environmental Services Special Exhibition of the China International Fair for Trade in Services held at the National Stadium, merchants gathered next to new materials and products to gather information. Photo by Sun Weitong, journalist from Xinhua News Agency

Take a look at these wearable devices at today's Service Trade Fair, such as flexible clothing that monitors the cardiovascular system of the elderly in real time, VR glasses that allow you to enjoy the scenery of Gulangyu Island at the Fair... Are they clothing that provides shelter from wind and rain, or services that forecast weather, diagnose the body, and manage exercise?

According to the official website of the China Fair for Trade in Services, since 2012, China's import and export of services have grown at an average annual rate of 6.1%, which is twice the global growth rate. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, the total import and export of services in China reached nearly 6 trillion yuan in 2022, reaching a historic high; From January to July this year, the total import and export volume of services increased by 8.1% year-on-year, continuing to maintain a growth trend.

Nowadays, traditional goods trade represented by clothing has consistently ranked first in the world for many years. The emerging service trade has also ranked second in the world for nine consecutive years, and China's position as a major country in service trade has been further consolidated.

China's services provide more sense of gain for people around the world

At a time when the century long changes are accelerating and the global economic recovery is lacking momentum, the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services will be held as scheduled. 59 countries and 24 international organizations held exhibitions and conferences, with over 2400 companies participating offline; The host country, the UK, has formed the largest exhibition group since the exhibition; More than 6500 companies participated in online exhibitions, with over 42000 professional visitors invited to attend

The international community has demonstrated through actions that promoting inclusive development through service openness, promoting linkage and integration through service cooperation, cultivating development momentum through service innovation, creating a better future through service sharing, and working together to push the world economy onto a sustainable recovery track are the common aspirations of people around the world.

This is a scene taken on September 2, 2023 in the comprehensive exhibition area of the National Convention Center of the China International Fair for Trade in Services. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xin

"A single thread does not make a thread, a single tree does not make a forest." This is a Chinese proverb quoted by the Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Alan Greenspan, at this Trade in Services Conference. The process of digitization, intelligence, and greening is constantly accelerating, with new technologies, formats, and models emerging one after another. The Fair for Trade in Services has once again set up a stage of cooperation for the world, injecting strong impetus into promoting economic globalization, restoring global economic vitality, and enhancing the resilience of world economic development.

With China actively expanding its imports of high-quality services and encouraging the expansion of knowledge intensive service exports, China's large market opportunities will provide new development momentum for the world; China's high-quality development will provide more and better services to the world. The achievements of Chinese path to modernization will be shared by the world, and the sense of gain of people around the world will be constantly enhanced.

This is also the theme of this year's Service Trade Fair: openness leads development, cooperation leads to a win-win future.