China Focus: China's service trade fair highlights green, low-carbon transformation

Products made of bamboo are displayed during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

by Xinhua writers Ye Ting, Chen Xu

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing is not only a platform to showcase innovation in new quality productive forces, but is also empowering enterprises to embrace a green and low-carbon future in the Chinese market.

Scheduled from Sept. 12 to 16, the fair showcases advancements in green and intelligent services. China's "dual carbon" goals have infused new energy into the green transition across various sectors, including construction, transportation, education, healthcare, sports and finance, among others.

The environmental services exhibition hall of this year's fair covers approximately 12,000 square meters, featuring multiple zones dedicated to green energy, carbon neutrality technologies, and circular economy. Multiple cutting-edge technologies from both domestic and international enterprises made their debuts, positioning CIFTIS as the premier stage for global green innovation.

IQAir, a Swiss company providing air purification and air quality monitoring services, is participating in CIFTIS for the first time this year. It introduced its latest IQAir Web Dashboard, which integrates big data monitoring, air pollution control and data visualization with hardware systems to help control indoor air pollution and improve air quality in workspaces.

China has introduced numerous measures to ease market access, particularly in the field of green development, which will benefit countries worldwide. International companies are eager to integrate into China's framework for high-quality development, according to Frank Christian Hammes, global CEO of IQAir.

At the "Global Green Economy Development Forum" held Thursday during the CIFTIS, participants heaped praise on China for creating a major platform for global collaboration and exchange in the emerging areas of the green economy.

Green competitiveness, characterized by low-carbon practices, is reshaping global supply chains and international trade rules. To drive high-quality and sustainable economic development, it is essential to strengthen energy-saving and emission reduction management, build a carbon footprint system, and promote the green, low-carbon transformation of industrial and energy structures, according to Sha Zukang, honorary president of the International Green Economy Association, when addressing the forum.

At the fair, many impressive achievements highlighting new industries, business models and practices in the green, low-carbon sector are on display. Breakthrough technologies, such as recycled PET materials and biomass heating, were presented by several green economy companies.

Making its debut at the fair, Optics Valley Bluefire from Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province, attracted visitors' attention with a model demonstrating the conversion of biomass energy from agricultural and forestry waste, such as rice husks, wood scraps and crop straw, into thermal energy. This technology has already been implemented in various regions across China, placing it at the forefront of the domestic industry.

"We hope to bring our 'blue fire' to thousands of households through CIFTIS," said Xiong Jian, chairman of the company, who believed that China's biomass heating sector holds vast potential, and CIFTIS, with its focus on the green economy, offers a major platform for companies to integrate into the global development landscape.

In recent years, China has vigorously promoted high-level opening up, leading to steady growth in the scale of service trade and an accelerated pace of opening in various service sectors. In September, China unveiled a set of guidelines to promote high-quality development of trade in services, committed to fully constructing the management system of the negative list for cross-border trade in services and improving the standardization level of service trade.

China in March unveiled a program to promote large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins.

Liu Ling, president of Philips Greater China, stated that in response to this plan, the company showcased its initiative designed to offer tailored solutions for technology upgrades and equipment renewal in medical institutions, aiming to enhance the quality and efficiency of healthcare services and accelerate the development of new quality productive forces in the industry.

This year's CIFTIS also saw the launch of several initiatives aimed at bolstering the stability and growth of supply chains, earning high praise from participating businesses.

At the booth of Wilo Group, one of the world's leading providers of pumps and pumping systems, a skid-mounted hydraulic module featuring functions such as fire protection, air conditioning, monitoring, and cooling water filtration caught the attention of visitors.

This equipment is fully assembled and tested at Wilo's factories. Once delivered to the project site, it only requires water and electricity connections to function properly. It is widely applicable in commercial, industrial, data center, and heating sectors, reducing on-site installation time by 80 percent and lowering failure rates by 60 percent.

Last year, Wilo Group established its first Industry 4.0 factory and carbon-neutral base outside of Europe in the city of Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, along with a logistics center for the Asia-Pacific region, said Jackie Xiao, marketing director of Wilo Group Emerging Markets, who noted that Wilo has long embraced China's "dual carbon" goals and has deeply integrated into the local supply chain.

"Only an open, efficient, cooperative and fair market mechanism can help ensure the prosperity of the zero-carbon economy in the global market," said Li Ting, chief representative of the Beijing office of Rocky Mountain Institute, adding that China now works as a leader in green development and drives the global green transition via its broad market. ■

A sand table model of a wind power project is displayed during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A visitor views a new energy vehicle of Arcfox during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 13, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa)

People visit a booth of International Bamboo and Rattan Organization during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

A smart mobile charging vehicle is displayed during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A plastic bottle recycling bin is pictured during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

People visit the booth of Beijing Urban Construction Group during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Environmental friendly packaging materials for courier parcels are displayed during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

An Intelligent and safe charging station for electric bicycles is displayed during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Cao Mengyao)

Visitors view bricks produced from recycled construction waste during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Visitors view a sand table model of a solution for green urban development during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Visitors view a model of newly developed wind turbine during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Visitors view an air purifier product of IQAir from Switzerland during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Recyclable packaging materials for courier parcels are displayed during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 13, 2024. The phrase "digital and green drive" is gaining significant attention at the ongoing 2024 CIFTIS where exhibitors display their latest technological inventions and successful solutions in green and low-carbon development. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)