The 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services, which is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive fairs for trade in services, kicks off on Saturday at the China National Convention Center and at Shougang Park in Beijing. With the theme of "Opening-up for Better Development, Cooperation for Win-Win Future", the event will continue until Wednesday.

This highly anticipated event has attracted a significant number of companies and organizations, who view it as an exceptional platform for international cooperation. The event's international reach and its role as a platform for expanding opening-up have been enhanced with a greater number of international exhibitors compared with the last time.

The Global Trade in Services Summit, which is part of CIFTIS, is held on a larger scale, inviting foreign governmental dignitaries, ministerial guests and heads of international organizations to attend and deliver speeches.

The exhibition of the 2023 CIFTIS spans 155,000 square meters, showcasing the most recent advancements in areas such as the digital economy, cultural services, tourism services, education services, medical services and green development. It boasts more than 2,200 offline exhibitors, including 500 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading companies.

A total of 75 countries and international organizations are exhibiting at this year's CIFTIS. Among them, 28 countries, including Germany, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Argentina and Benin, as well as seven international organizations, including UNICEF and UNAIDS, have set up booths in the Exhibitions of Countries section at CIFTIS.

As the guest country of honor, the United Kingdom has assembled its largest-ever business delegation for the 2023 CIFTIS since its first time to participate in the fair. Furthermore, the UK is set to organize more than 70 events during the 2023 CIFTIS.

The 240-sq-m British National Pavilion showcases the UK's strengths and distinctiveness in the services trade, encompassing education, sports, healthcare and cultural creativity. It features renowned companies such as HSBC and Pearson.

The pavilion also offers interactive experiences, such as naked-eye 3D displays and artificial intelligence robot games. Additionally, visitors can enjoy the virtual 3D stage featuring the Beatles, where they can wear Dyson headphones to immerse themselves in the music produced by Universal Music Group.

Virtual reality and augmented reality devices are also available at the pavilion, allowing visitors to engage in interactive sports games and have up-close encounters with wild animals. This provides a glimpse into the UK's prominent role in the development of simulation scenarios for sports, wildlife conservation and vocational education.

Tom Duke, the deputy trade commissioner for China at the Department for International Trade of the British embassy in China, told China Central Television that he has attended multiple editions of CIFTIS, and every year he has witnessed its growing significance for development.

He noted that CIFTIS provides an ideal platform for strengthening cooperation between the UK and China in the field of trade in services. Additionally, he emphasized the tremendous potential for collaboration in such areas as pensions, insurance, healthcare and environmental services.

French multinational Schneider Electric has participated in CIFTIS four consecutive times. Xu Shaofeng, senior vice-president of the company, said that the fair, as an important platform for China's high-level opening-up drive, has become a major stage for showcasing and exchanging new technologies, applications and services in the global services trade sector, as reported by Economic Information Daily.

Jan-Willem Scheijgrond, vice-president of Dutch home appliance giant Royal Philips, said that this year the company will showcase its innovative collaboration with Chinese companies within the global environmental protection system, Chinese news website CRI Online reported.

Having recently visited China, Scheijgrond said he was deeply impressed by the innovative achievements made by Chinese partners. Particularly in the field of medical imaging, Chinese experts have creatively applied AI, enhancing medical efficiency.

He also highlighted the innovation ability of Chinese companies as a major driving force behind Philips' localization and continuous investment in China.

He said that Philips is dedicated to collaborating with Chinese technology enterprises to combine global innovation efforts with local needs. The company is also working with Chinese colleges and hospitals to collectively tackle challenges in the healthcare and medical fields.

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