China and Arab Countries: The 2025 International Fair for Trade in Services as a Bridge for Cultural and Tourist Exchange

The 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services, held in Beijing, saw prominent participation from Arab countries such as Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco, which showcased their rich cultural and tourist resources. The fair aims to be a platform for deepening trade and cultural cooperation between China and Arab countries, opening new horizons for growth in the tourism and services sectors.

Growing Chinese Interest in Arab Tourism

The Arab pavilion attracted significant interest from Chinese visitors, including students and professionals. He Yingrui, a student from Shandong Jianzhu University, expressed his great admiration for Jordan's tourist resources after seeing them at the fair, stating, "My understanding of Jordan was previously limited to football matches. Now, I really like its rich tourist resources after seeing the exhibition."

For her part, Wang Dan, co-founder of the "Zhong Rui" Tourism and Culture Group, confirmed that the active participation from various visitor segments reflects the fair's importance and growing popularity, making it a new phenomenon in the tourism and culture sector.

Strong Indicators and Promising Prospects

Recent indicators from the Tourism Science Institute and the China-Arab Culture and Tourism Research Cooperation Center showed that the cultural and tourism exchange index between the two sides reached 82.67 in 2024. This number reflects a high level of cooperation and development, indicating great potential for further future growth. Factors such as translation, cross-border procedures, and ease of transportation are considered key points for improving the travel experience.

On the trade front, China has maintained its position as the largest trading partner for Arab countries for years, with bilateral trade reaching $407.4 billion in 2024, a 2.3% year-on-year increase. China's services trade has also seen remarkable growth, especially in the travel sector, where imports and exports of services rose by 10.4% year-on-year.

The Fair as a Platform for Global Innovation and Cooperation

The fair is held under the theme of "Embracing Smart Technologies and Empowering Services Trade," with the participation of nearly 2,000 companies, in addition to 85 countries and international organizations. More than 190 new products and achievements are expected to be announced during the fair, underscoring its role in driving innovation and international cooperation in the services trade sector.