BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Officials from Latin American and Caribbean countries have expressed their optimism about China's service trade market and their willingness to deepen cooperation with China, on the sidelines of the ongoing China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) on Tuesday.

Counselor of the Ecuadorean Embassy in China Andres Armas said that he hopes to promote Ecuador's characteristic services through the CIFTIS and create more new business opportunities for the two countries.

"Our focus is on promoting Ecuador's export products, as well as helping Chinese investors find opportunities by community," Armas said.

The diplomat expressed the hope that bilateral cooperation in services trade be expanded and achieve greater results.

E-commerce services in Ecuador such as bike-sharing and online platforms to buy food and other goods have seen a rising demand during the pandemic, Armas said, adding that "they have a lot of potential in Ecuador."

Noting that about 20,000 Chinese tourists visited Ecuador last year, Armas said "we hope those numbers keep increasing in the future" as tourism is a key sector of Ecuador's national economy.

Noting that 90 percent of Ecuador's power generation now comes from hydropower, he highlighted that Chinese companies have provided great help in the construction of related projects.

Alfonso Sesma Julian, representative from the Economic Affairs Section of the Mexican Embassy in China, said several Chinese companies have approached him to discuss cooperation at the fair.

"Some Chinese companies have contacted us, and I hope they can develop their businesses in Mexico and establish enterprises there," Julian said.

Corey Archer, second secretary of the Barbadian Embassy in China, said there is still much room for cooperation between China and Barbados in the field of services trade, including tourism, finance and insurance, wealth management, education and training.

"Barbados is a regional hub featuring expansive transport links to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the Caribbean region where it serves as the regional hub for many destinations," he said.

The sixth annual CIFTIS, the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak, opened Friday.