WIPO China: WIPO Co-Hosts CIFTIS Global Trade in Services Summit for the First Time

On the morning of September 9, the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held at Shougang Park in Beijing. The Summit was co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, the Ministry of Commerce of China, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Mr. Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended and addressed the Summit. Around 800 officials and representatives from China and abroad attended the event. WIPO Director General Mr. Daren Tang delivered video remarks.

On the morning of September 9, the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held at Shougang Park in Beijing. The Summit was co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, the Ministry of Commerce of China, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Mr. Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended and addressed the Summit. Around 800 officials and representatives from China and abroad attended the event. WIPO Director General Mr. Daren Tang delivered video remarks.

Daren Tang: IP Is Key to the Growth and Transformation of Trade in Services

Mr. Tang noted that trade in services has become one of the most dynamic parts of the global economy. In just a decade, its value has almost doubled, and trade in services now accounts for more than one-quarter of global trade, with digitally delivered services an important part of it, and this growth is increasingly global. He pointed out that intellectual property is a critical part of this growth and transformation story. Trade in IP is now more than double the level in 2010. Many of the services changing our economies, such as cloud computing, AI platforms, streaming services and e-commerce, rely on strong IP protection and commercialization.

Mr. Tang said that in the first half of the year, China's services trade grew by more than 8% year-on-year, with knowledge-intensive services, including IP-related services, now accounting for more than half of China's services exports. These developments are supported by the growth of the country's IP and innovation ecosystem. China entered the top 10 of WIPO's Global Innovation Index for the first time last year. It also has more science and technology clusters than any other country in WIPO's ranking of the world's top 100. In Beijing, this strength is especially visible, with the city having the highest R&D intensity in China. He stressed that trade in services, innovation, and IP are closely linked, and that the global IP ecosystem serves as a bridge for innovators and creators to connect and collaborate. WIPO will continue supporting a strong and efficient IP ecosystem, one that protects innovation and creativity, helps ideas and services reach new markets, and creates the conditions for countries to grow and prosper together.

2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services

As the first national-level comprehensive services trade exhibition in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the 2026 CIFTIS upheld the concept of "Global Services, Shared Benefits," closely aligned with the needs of expanding and upgrading the services sector, and followed the direction of being "professional, international, distinctive, and market-oriented." It attracted exhibitors and conference participants from 90 countries, regions, and international organizations, with more than 1,830 companies exhibiting on-site and over 5,300 online, including 473 Fortune Global 500 and industry-leading enterprises. This year's CIFTIS systematically structured its forums and conferences for the first time, setting up four major segments—"Openness and Integration, Win-Win Cooperation, Digital and Intelligent Innovation, and Green Development"—hosting 200 forums, conferences, and matchmaking events, presenting a thematic exhibition and 9 specialized exhibitions, and innovatively launching the Shougang Park "Exhibition Town." The event ultimately achieved more than 1,200 outcomes across 7 categories.