On August 26, the State Council held its 15th thematic study session on “Accelerating the Innovative Development of Service Trade and Actively Cultivating New Drivers of Foreign Trade.” During the session, it was emphasized that it is crucial to thoroughly study and implement important directives and the relevant decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee, further build consensus, broaden perspectives, and solidly promote the high-quality development of service trade to provide strong support for building a strong trading nation and establishing a new, higher-level open economic system.

It was pointed out that advancing the innovative development of service trade is a key measure for cultivating new drivers of foreign trade and accelerating the construction of a strong trading nation. In recent years, China’s service trade has developed rapidly, with its scale ranking among the top globally, but there are still gaps compared to world-leading standards in many areas. As the external environment changes and domestic industrial structure adjusts, it is essential to place greater emphasis on accelerating the innovative development of service trade.

It was emphasized that it is necessary to proactively expand the import of high-quality services and use high-level openness to promote the high-quality development of the domestic service industry. Efforts should be made to advance institutional openness in service trade, strengthen alignment with high-standard international economic and trade rules, further shorten the negative list for cross-border service trade, and orderly relax market access in the service sector. A favorable environment for service imports should be created by facilitating the cross-border movement of specialized professionals, optimizing cross-border fund management, and promoting the orderly flow of data across borders. Accelerating the development of a unified national market, standardizing licenses, qualifications, and technical standards in the service sector, and eliminating various hidden barriers are also important. Service imports should be used to drive the development of the domestic service industry, supporting domestic service enterprises in enhancing their capabilities through market competition.

It was noted that, leveraging China’s comparative advantages, efforts should focus on enhancing the international competitiveness of service exports and strengthening the scale and quality of service exports. Expanding exports of producer services in advantageous manufacturing sectors, guiding high-quality manufacturing enterprises to evolve from product manufacturers into comprehensive service providers, and better integrating service exports with goods exports to increase comprehensive added value are key. Actively promoting exports in emerging service sectors, leveraging innovation advantages in artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, and the digital economy, and expanding exports in research, consulting, e-commerce, and other services will help accelerate the cultivation of new business models such as digital service trade and “AI + service trade.” Deeply exploring the potential for service exports in specialized fields, advancing services in related areas toward professionalism and internationalization, and creating a number of high-quality brands and outstanding works tailored to overseas demand are also vital. Further amplifying the effects of visa-free policies to attract more foreign nationals to travel and consume in China will help drive the overseas expansion of more high-quality services.

State Council

The State Council is the chief administrative authority of the People’s Republic of China, functioning as the country’s cabinet and executive body of the National People’s Congress. It was established by the country’s first constitution in 1954 and is responsible for implementing laws and overseeing the vast government bureaucracy. Its history is intrinsically linked to the governance of modern China.

Central Committee

The term “Central Committee” most commonly refers to the leading body of a communist party, such as the historical Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). It was established as a key political and policymaking institution, holding supreme authority between party congresses and directing the party’s work. This structure has been replicated in various other Marxist-Leninist parties around the world.

China

China is one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, with a recorded history spanning over four millennia. It is home to numerous iconic cultural sites, such as the Great Wall, which was built over centuries starting in the 7th century BC to protect against invasions. Today, it is a vast nation blending its profound ancient heritage with rapid modernization.

negative list for cross-border service trade

The “Negative List for Cross-Border Service Trade” is a regulatory mechanism, not a physical place or cultural site. It is a policy instrument used by the Chinese government, first implemented in 2018, which explicitly lists service sectors that are restricted or prohibited for foreign investment. All sectors not on this list are automatically open, representing a significant shift towards market liberalization in China’s service industry.

unified national market

The “unified national market” is not a physical place but a modern economic policy initiative in China, launched to break down local protectionist barriers and integrate the country’s domestic economy. Its history is recent, formally proposed in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), with the goal of creating a seamless, efficient market for goods and services across all regions. This policy aims to boost domestic circulation and enhance China’s economic resilience.

artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a modern technological field that emerged as an academic discipline in the mid-20th century, focused on creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. Its history includes periods of rapid advancement and “AI winters,” but it has recently seen explosive growth due to increases in computing power and data availability. Today, it is a transformative force impacting nearly every industry and aspect of daily life.

biopharmaceuticals

Biopharmaceuticals are not a physical place or cultural site, but a field of medicine. They are medical drugs produced using biotechnology, derived from living organisms like proteins or nucleic acids. The field has its origins in the late 20th century, with the first such drug, human insulin, being approved for medical use in 1982.

digital economy

The digital economy is a modern economic system driven by digital computing technologies, emerging with the rise of the internet in the late 20th century. It is characterized by the trade of digital goods and services, e-commerce, and data-driven business models, fundamentally reshaping global commerce and labor markets.