JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is an important platform for economies and businesses to explore new opportunities in the services trade as knowledge and data become increasingly important drivers of global growth, a South African economist has said.

"CIFTIS will increasingly move beyond being simply an exhibition and become a marketplace for ideas, technology, investment and international partnerships," Simphiwe Madikizela, professor of economics at the University of South Africa, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The 2026 CIFTIS will be held from Sept. 9 to 13 in Beijing, bringing together exhibitors from over 90 countries and international organizations, along with more than 1,800 companies.

Madikizela said the fair's theme, "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," is particularly relevant as the global economy shifts from a model dominated by trade in manufacturing goods toward one increasingly driven by services, technology and intellectual property.

China's rapidly growing services trade provides an important example of this transformation, he said, citing data that China's trade in services increased by 8.3 percent year-on-year to nearly 3.78 trillion yuan (about 556.56 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2026.

"China's services trade is increasingly moving toward higher-value activities," said Madikizela, noting that knowledge-intensive services trade reached 1.66 trillion yuan, accounting for 44 percent of total services trade, and grew 6.7 percent in the first half of the year, while exports of such services rose 12.8 percent.

Such development is significant not only for China but also for the global economy, as the world's second-largest economy is becoming not only a major producer of goods but also an increasingly important market and provider of services, he added.

Highlighting China's vast domestic market and demand, the economist said, "An open Chinese economy can support global growth through trade, investment, tourism, digital services, professional services, technology and innovation."

"At a time when geopolitical tensions and protectionism are creating uncertainty, greater cooperation in services can provide another channel through which economies remain connected," Madikizela said, adding that against this backdrop, CIFTIS can play an important role in strengthening international services cooperation.

CIFTIS reflects a broader transformation in globalization since international economic integration is no longer simply about moving physical products across borders, but increasingly about the exchange of knowledge, technology, skills, data and services, he said.

Madikizela added that the development of China's services trade is contributing to what he described as the "servicification of global trade," as manufacturing and services become increasingly integrated.

For developing economies, particularly in Africa, CIFTIS offers opportunities to connect with Chinese and international partners in areas such as digital trade, e-commerce, financial services, tourism, education, healthcare, logistics and professional services, he said.

"The future will not be defined only by how many containers cross international borders but by how effectively countries exchange services, technology, knowledge, data, skills and innovation," Madikizela said. "That is why initiatives such as CIFTIS are becoming increasingly important to the global economy."■