The annual meeting of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (GATIS) was held in Beijing on January 17, 2025. Mr. Jiang Zengwei, President of GATIS, attended this event, while Mr. Chen Ning, Deputy Secretary-General of GATIS, presided over the meeting. The event gathered over 200 participants, including officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and relevant district government departments, high-level representatives from international organizations, embassies, and domestic and foreign business associations, representatives from members and partners of GATIS, as well as media reporters.

During the meeting, the entire leadership team of the GATIS Secretariat made their debut, with each member introduced sequentially by the host.

Mr. Zhao Weidong, Secretary-General of GATIS, delivered a speech in which he highlighted that the sixth meeting of the first council clarified the appointment of the GATIS Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-Generals. This marks the official completion of the Secretariat’s initial formation. Currently, GATIS has 288 member organizations, with an internationalization rate of 36%. GATIS has successfully hosted three consecutive editions of the “Global Entrepreneurs Summit on Trade in Services” and thematic exhibitions at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), and held sub-forums at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE). GATIS has also released several important research reports, including the Report on the Trend of High-Standard Opening Up of Global Trade in Services, the Report on the Innovation Trend of Global Trade in Services, and the Digital Economy Innovation and Intellectual Property Development Index Report of World Major Cities. It has also organized briefings by relevant departments to interpret policies for members, providing them with platforms for dialogue, which has received positive responses from the membership.

Mr. Zhao emphasized that GATIS will continue to uphold the functional positioning of an international organization, driving GATIS’s professional development through internationalization. The organization will continually improve its service capabilities and standards and work together with both domestic and international sectors—especially members—to implement GATIS’s nine initiatives, safeguard the multilateral trading system centered on the World Trade Organization (WTO), jointly tackle challenges, seize development opportunities, and contribute to the stability and prosperity of the global economy. GATIS is committed to supporting the achievement of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr. Li Daosheng, Vice President of the China Australia Business Industry Centre (CABIC), a representative of GATIS’s overseas members, delivered a speech in which he expressed his deep appreciation for the rapid development of global trade in services and the significant influence and global perspective of GATIS. He hopes to further strengthen interactions and resource sharing among members, promote innovative business models, and attract more emerging markets to join GATIS in the future.

Mr. Ma Jian, Director of the Beijing International Aerotropolis Technology Research Institute, a representative of GATIS’s members, also spoke at the event. He highlighted that the aviation industry is an important component of trade in services. Under the leadership of GATIS, the aviation sector actively participated in the “Global Entrepreneurs Summit on Trade in Services” and other related activities in 2024. In 2025, plans are underway to establish GATIS’s first professional committee—the “Aviation Industry Committee”—in collaboration with key industry organizations, state-owned enterprises in aviation, and leading domestic and international aircraft manufacturers and operators.

Looking ahead, GATIS will actively leverage its three core functions—cooperation and exchange, think tank research, and policy dialogue—to promote international exchange and cooperation in trade in services. It will strengthen collaboration with the United Nations, relevant government departments, international business associations, enterprises, and other stakeholders, striving to create more pragmatic cooperation outcomes. By adhering to its mission as an international organization, GATIS is committed to working with the global community to promote the high-quality development of trade in services.