Innovation shines brighter at China's int'l services trade fair

Visitors watch the demonstration of a waste sorting robot at the comprehensive exhibition area of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 5, 2020. The 2020 CIFTIS is the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 18,000 enterprises and institutions from 148 countries and regions and about 100,000 people have registered for the fair. (Xinhua/Lu Peng)

BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- From service robots in virtual stands to 5G applications displayed in cloud booths, innovations stare at you at the ongoing 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing.

Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the fair, which kicked off on Friday, is the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The six-day event, one of the world's largest and most comprehensive fairs for trade in services, has attracted 18,000 enterprises and institutions from 148 countries and regions.

During the global fight against COVID-19, the digital economy has rapidly expanded amid explosive growth of emerging services, Vice Commerce Minister Wang Bingnan said at the fair.

"The service economy, supported by new infrastructure and represented by online services, is activating the momentum of development in various fields and becoming the most dynamic part of economic growth," said Wang.

INNOVATIVE SERVICES

In the sprawling exhibition hall at the China National Convention Center, humanoid robots shuttled back and forth, either greeting visitors or spraying disinfectants with the help of automated navigation and obstacle avoidance technology.

The futuristic space of a smart interactive online classroom also drew many people, as a huge electronic whiteboard replaced the blackboard, and mobile electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets took the place of notebooks.

Various service robots are also on display showing skills in cooking, delivering goods, performing surgeries and even providing diagnoses.

The fair focuses on the forefront of sci-tech innovation by displaying global applications of new infrastructure, artificial intelligence, 5G technology application, big data and service robots.

Special exhibition areas and forums deal with the integration and development of financial science and technology, digital economy's efforts to promote transformation, as well as empowering traditional industries with advanced technology.

CREATIVE DISPLAY

This time the fair has innovated in terms of creativity and holding exhibitions in a better way. A digital platform launched by CIFTIS 2020 allows foreign delegates who cannot enter the exhibition venue due to COVID-19 restrictions to tour the fair virtually and trade online.

Self-driving startup PIX Moving, incubated in Silicon Valley and based in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, is one of many exhibitors displaying products both online and offline.

Showcased in the 3D cloud booth are the company's drive-by-wire chassis platforms, autonomous driving development kits, and customized autonomous driving vehicles meant for various industries.

Through self-developed AI generation design algorithm and large-size metal 3D printing manufacturing technology, the company has shifted from commodity trade to services trade via digital and distributed manufacturing, PIX Chief Operating Officer Cao Yuteng told Xinhua.

"At the fair, we found many new prospective customers and came across more software and hardware suppliers, both upstream and downstream, in the auto-driving industry. CIFTIS 2020 will surely help us achieve further market growth," said Cao.