China's annual trade in services exceeds $1t, boasting significant potential

中国年度服务贸易突破1万亿美元，展现较大潜力

BEIJING -- China's annual trade in services exceeded $1 trillion for the first time last year, demonstrating significant potential for further growth.

北京——中国年度服务贸易首次突破1万亿美元，显示出巨大的增长潜力。

China's services import and export value amounted to a record-high of 7.5 trillion yuan (about $1.05 trillion) in 2024, expanding 14.4 percent year-on-year, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

根据最新数据显示，2024年中国的服务进出口总值达到了创纪录的7.5万亿元人民币（约合1.05万亿美元），同比增长14.4%。

Exports grew 18.2 percent year-on-year and imports grew 11.8 percent, according to the MOC.

其中，出口同比增长18.2%，进口同比增长11.8%，数据来自商务部（MOC）。

Driven by the global trends of digitization, smart technology advancement and green development, China's trade in services grew in scale, its structure was optimized further and its international competitiveness was enhanced in 2024, said Li Jun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the MOC.

He noted that the comprehensive relaxation and optimization of China's visa-free transit policy has played a role in boosting inbound tourism over the last year.

他指出，中国签证免签政策的全面放宽和优化，过去一年在促进入境旅游方面发挥了重要作用。

The broadly welcomed new policy has sparked the rise of "China Travel", a popular hashtag on social media where many travelers share their experiences in China, with increasing numbers of international tourists being drawn by the country's cultural landmarks, nature and city walks.

这一广受欢迎的新政策催生了“China Travel”这一热门社交媒体话题，许多游客在社交媒体上分享他们在中国的旅行经历，越来越多的国际游客被中国的文化地标、自然景观和城市漫步所吸引。

"'China Travel' is booming rapidly, and this growth is expected to boost the country's services trade further, while helping to drive the global travel industry toward continued recovery and prosperity," Li said.

李俊表示：“中国游爆火出圈，有望推动中国服务贸易规模持续扩大，带动全球旅行服务进一步恢复和繁荣发展。”

China's digital cultural platforms and content have been gaining significant traction overseas, Li said, noting the popularity of Chinese video game "Black Myth: Wukong", the distribution of high-quality Chinese films and TV dramas on overseas streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, and the fact that Chinese internet literature is influencing an increasing number of international readers.

李俊指出，中国的数字文化平台和内容在海外获得了显著的关注，他提到中国视频游戏《黑神话：悟空》的流行，优质中国电影和电视剧在Netflix和YouTube等海外流媒体平台上的发行，以及中国网络文学对越来越多国际读者的影响。

The Chinese government released a guideline on promoting the high-quality development of trade in services through high-standard opening-up in August last year.

中国政府去年8月发布了通过高标准开放推动服务贸易高质量发展的指导意见。

The document offered robust policy support for the development of China's services trade, Li said, calling for more efforts to advance opening-up, innovation and international cooperation in the sector.

李俊表示，这一文件为中国服务贸易的发展提供了强有力的政策支持，并呼吁在该领域推进开放、创新和国际合作的更多努力。

Noting that China established a nationwide negative list management system for cross-border trade in services last year, Li suggested that the level of institutional opening-up should be improved continuously, that the negative list should be shortened gradually as appropriate, and that high-standard international economic and trade rules should be aligned with actively.

李俊还提到，中国去年建立了全国性的跨境服务贸易负面清单管理制度，他建议要持续提升制度性开放的水平，逐步适度缩减负面清单，并积极对接国际高标准经济贸易规则。

He urged launching the construction of national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services as soon as possible.

他呼吁尽快启动建设国家服务贸易创新发展示范区。

To facilitate innovation, Li called for the potential of industrial digitization and digital transformation to be unlocked, for support for the professional organizations offering services in finance, consulting, design and certification to enhance their ability to provide international services, and for the accelerated development of green services.

为了促进创新，李俊建议要释放工业数字化和数字转型的潜力，加强对金融、咨询、设计和认证等专业服务机构的支持，提高它们提供国际服务的能力，并加快绿色服务的发展。

Bilateral, multilateral and regional collaboration in digital trade and trade in services should be expanded, Li said, suggesting that the role of major exhibition platforms should continue to be leveraged, and that international services trade cooperation parks should be developed.

李俊还表示，应该扩大在数字贸易和服务贸易领域的双边、多边和区域合作，并建议继续发挥重要展会平台的作用，发展国际服务贸易合作园区。