On December 20, 2024, the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (GATIS) held its first conference on overseas promotion in Vienna, Austria since its establishment with the theme “Building an International Exchange Platform.” The conference was attended by over 30 representatives from Austrian government departments, business associations, and enterprises. The GATIS member units, the Austrian Chinese Business Association and the Bank of China Austria Branch, as promotion conference supporting units, sent high-level representatives to attend the conference and conduct on-site promotion.
Mr. Jiang Zengwei, President of the GATIS Council, delivered a video speech in which he introduced the GATIS’s background and main business, and invited relevant institutions and enterprises in Austria and Europe to join the GATIS and collaborate to promote the development of global trade in services.
Prof. Dr. Georg Zanger, President of the Austrian Chinese Business Association, delivered an on-site speech about the local trade in services situation in Austria and the development of Sino-Austrian trade in services. He hoped that the association, as a GATIS member unit, would fully leverage its platform advantages in the future to promote the development of global trade in services.
Dr. Christoph Matznetter, Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, discussed the new problems and difficulties encountered in current international economic development and cooperation, urging dialogue and cooperation to find solutions to promote economic development. He hoped that the GATIS would serve as a platform for international organizational cooperation and communication, collaborating with all parties to promote global economic development.
Mr. Li Zheng, Deputy General Manager of the Bank of China Austria Branch, discussed the branch’s local business development as well as the Bank of China’s work as a GATIS member unit, such as supporting the 2022 GATIS-organized Global Entrepreneurs Summit on Trade in Services. He hoped that in the future, more Austrian partners would be invited to join GATIS by leveraging the Austria Branch’s local advantages.
A representative from the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau presented the "Two Zones" policies and the construction progress of the international consumption center city. A series of opening-up measures have promoted the implementation of landmark projects and the growth of investment by foreign-funded enterprises, laying a foundation for Beijing to further enhance its opening-up level and create a high-quality development pattern, and providing favorable conditions for overseas enterprises to enter the Beijing market and share development opportunities.
At the conference, the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau also introduced the organization of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) and the participation of Austrian institutions and enterprises. The bureau sincerely invited Austrian enterprises and institutions to actively participate in the 2025 CIFTIS, share opportunities for the development of trade in services, and promote the common development of global trade in services.
In the end, high-level representatives from the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and representatives from Austrian trade in services enterprises in e-commerce, consulting, agriculture, telecommunications, and other fields asked questions about strengthening cooperation with the GATIS, participating in the 2025 CIFTIS, and investing and developing in China, to which representatives of the Beijing delegation responded one by one. All conference attendees stated that this promotion event gave them a better understanding of the GATIS and demonstrated the limitless potential of working together to create a better future. It is believed that in the future, with the participation of more Austrian and European institutions and businesses, the GATIS will gain more wisdom and strength, propelling global trade in services to new heights.
