Chinese vice premier calls for greater openness in services sector

Advancing trade in services and promoting opening up and cooperation in the services sector is not only China's choice but also a global necessity, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said on Wednesday.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at the 2026 Global Trade in Services Summit in Beijing.

China has actively promoted trade in services and opened up its services sector wider, Ding said, adding that these efforts are creating more opportunities for countries and businesses around the world.

As the global economic and trade landscape continues to evolve, efforts should be made to strengthen the mutually reinforcing relationship between the services sector and trade in services, so as to better support the economic and social development of all countries, Ding said.

Highlighting the guiding role of opening up in developing trade in services, Ding urged measures to reduce barriers to cross-border flows of factors and promote greater liberalization and facilitation of trade in services.

Such efforts will help ensure the sector's steady, long-term development in a fair and inclusive manner, he added.

Ding also called on countries to promote the sharing of digital and intelligent technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and strengthen global digital infrastructure connectivity to inject fresh impetus into the development of trade in services.

The 2026 summit was jointly hosted by the Beijing municipal government, the Ministry of Commerce, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.