BEIJING, June 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On June 16, 2026, the Promotion Event for Norway as the Guest Country of Honor at the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS 2026) was held in Beijing. Centering on the preparation for Norway's participation as the Guest Country of Honor at CIFTIS 2026, the event organized site inspections of the CIFTIS venue, a visit to the Lize Business District, and themed promotion and exchange activities, aiming to further deepen communication and alignment between China and Norway in the field of services trade and facilitate the implementation of more pragmatic cooperation outcomes.
On the morning of the event, a delegation from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in China visited the Shougang Park in Beijing, the permanent venue of CIFTIS, to gain a first-hand understanding of the park's spatial layout, venue conditions, and exhibition service support, so as to make preliminary preparations for Norway's participation as Guest Country of Honor at CIFTIS 2026. In the afternoon, the Guest Country of Honor promotion event was held at the Lize Business District in Fengtai District, Beijing. Co-hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Innovation Norway, the Beijing International Service Trade Affairs Center, and the People's Government of Fengtai District, Beijing, and organized by Capital Exhibition (Group) Co., Ltd., the event adopted a hybrid format combining online and offline activities.
Henning Kristoffersen, Commercial Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in China; Gao Yunchao, a representative from the Beijing International Service Trade Affairs Center; and Gao Chongyao, Deputy Mayor of Fengtai District, delivered speeches on behalf of the organizers. Representatives from business associations, industry enterprises, and related institutions from both China and Norway gathered at the venue to discuss new opportunities for bilateral services trade cooperation.
In his speech, Gao Yunchao noted that CIFTIS 2026 will be held from September 9 to 13 at Shougang Park in Beijing. Adhering to the concept of "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the fair will feature exhibition displays, negotiation and promotion sessions, result releases, and supporting events, as well as the Global Trade in Services Summit and a series of forums. At the same time, this year's fair will for the first time set up a dedicated roadshow area for overseas expansion service promotion, with precisely organized professional visitors and procurement matchmaking, to provide a more efficient cooperation platform for Chinese and foreign enterprises. He extended a sincere invitation to Norwegian enterprises and institutions, as well as those involved in China-Norway exchanges and cooperation, to actively participate and leverage this national-level platform to showcase technologies and brands, connect with China's market demand, seek partners, and promote the implementation of more projects and deliver tangible results.
Henning Kristoffersen stated that Norway will appear as the Guest Country of Honor at CIFTIS 2026 and will build a national pavilion focusing on its advantageous sectors such as green energy, digital technology, healthy living, and premium nutrition. He expressed the hope that the CIFTIS platform will attract more Norwegian companies to Beijing and the Chinese market, fostering more business exchanges, economic activities, and tangible cooperation outcomes.
Deputy Mayor Gao Chongyao introduced the district's solid industrial foundation, strong opening-up advantages, and high-quality international business environment, and sincerely invited Norwegian enterprises from various sectors to establish roots in Fengtai, deepen cooperation, and share new regional development opportunities. Ms. Zhao Qian, Deputy Director of the Beijing Lize Financial Business District Management Committee, gave a promotion presentation, elaborating on the district's environment, industrial strengths, supporting policies, and foreign-related services, offering comprehensive support for the establishment and operation of foreign-invested enterprises.
During the thematic promotion session, representatives from Chinese and Norwegian government and enterprise institutions, including the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) under the Ministry of Commerce, Capital Exhibition (Group) Co., Ltd., Pure Salmon Technology, and Ernst & Young (EY), delivered speeches successively. They shared practical achievements, market experience, and cooperation visions concerning the Digital Green Economy Initiative, special exhibitions at CIFTIS, and bilateral cooperation in fields such as sustainable development, life sciences, premium nutrition, and cultural exchanges. Their presentations demonstrated Norwegian enterprises' innovative strength in related service sectors and their active willingness to continue expanding into the Chinese market through the CIFTIS platform.
The Lize Business District, where the event was held, boasts a solid industrial foundation and a vibrant open atmosphere, making it an excellent platform for China-Norway business docking and cooperation. Participants exchanged views on the district's industrial environment, development opportunities, and potential for collaboration between Chinese and Norwegian enterprises.
All participating representatives agreed that they would take this promotion day as an opportunity to continuously strengthen policy connectivity, industrial alignment, and resource matching between China and Norway, fully leverage the national-level, international, and comprehensive platform of CIFTIS, jointly explore new frontiers in China-Norway services trade cooperation, and elevate bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a higher level.
Source: CIFTIS 2026
Contact person: Ms. Zhu, Tel: 86-10-63074558.
