Further opening-up seen key to driving high-quality growth of fast-rising sector

进一步开放是推动这一快速增长行业高质量发展的关键所在。

China will intensify efforts to upgrade its fast-growing services sector, aiming to foster an open, competitive and high-quality ecosystem that benefits both Chinese consumers and global providers, experts and executives said.

多位专家和企业高管均表示，中国将加大力度推动快速发展的服务业提质升级，旨在打造一个开放、竞争、高质量的生态系统，使中国消费者和全球服务提供者共同受益。

To achieve this vision, the State Council — China's Cabinet — unveiled on Tuesday plans designed to steer producer services toward "greater specialization and higher positions in the value chain", while making consumer services "more quality-oriented, diversified and convenient".

为实现这一愿景，国务院于周二发布了一份政策文件，旨在引导生产性服务业向“专业化和高端价值链延伸”，同时推动生活性服务业“向高品质、多样化、便利化发展”。

China's services sector has grown steadily over the years, accounting for 57.7 percent of GDP in 2025, and it is expected its total scale will surpass 100 trillion yuan ($14.67 trillion) by the end of the decade — a 23 percent increase from current levels.

多年来，中国服务业持续稳步增长，2025年占GDP比重达57.7%。预计到2030年，服务业总规模将突破100万亿元人民币（约合14.67万亿美元），较当前水平增长23%。

Further opening-up is seen as key to advancing the high-quality growth of the services sector this year and beyond, evidenced by the Government Work Report's call to "orderly relax market access restrictions in the services sector" and the 15th Five-Year Plan's pledge to "expand high-level opening-up of the services sector".

进一步开放是今年及未来推动服务业高质量发展的关键。《政府工作报告》提出“有序放宽服务业准入限制”，“十五五”规划纲要承诺“扩大服务业高水平对外开放”，均印证了这一点。

After years of dismantling market access restrictions for foreign investors in manufacturing, China is now setting its sights on the services sector, where experts said the barriers remain relatively higher but the potential rewards for both the domestic economy and foreign firms are larger.

在多年逐步取消制造业外资市场准入限制之后，如今，中国将目光投向服务业。专家表示，服务业的壁垒仍然相对较高，但对国内经济和外资企业而言，潜在回报也更大。

Unlike manufacturing, services have long been a relative laggard in China's opening-up drive, constrained by complexities that "go far beyond simple market access", said Cui Fan, a professor of international trade at the University of International Business and Economics.

对外经济贸易大学国际贸易教授崔凡指出，与制造业不同，服务业长期以来在中国对外开放进程中相对滞后，其制约因素“远不止简单的市场准入问题”，而是更为复杂。

Cui said it involves the cross-border movement of data, capital, technology and talent, as well as rules covering environmental standards, intellectual property and professional qualifications.

崔凡表示，这涉及数据、资本、技术和人才的跨境流动，以及涵盖环境标准、知识产权和职业资格等方面的规则。

"This means that the future focus of services sector opening will be more about aligning domestic rules with international norms," Cui added.

他补充说：“这意味着未来服务业开放的重点将更多放在国内规则与国际标准的对接上。”

The accelerated opening-up comes as many economies retreat into protectionist shells. China has instead chosen to widen access, particularly in areas such as value-added telecommunications, biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, according to the Cabinet's Tuesday policy document.

当前，许多经济体正退回保护主义的“壳”中，而中国却加速推进对外开放。根据国务院周二发布的政策文件，中国选择进一步放宽市场准入，特别是在增值电信、生物技术、外商独资医院等领域。

The country will also improve the management system covering the cross-border services trade negative list, and strengthen capabilities in data outbound compliance assessment and security certification as highlighted in the document.

文件还强调，中国将完善跨境服务贸易负面清单管理制度，并加强数据出境合规评估和安全认证能力建设。

Greater openness will speed the inflow of global quality services resources and advanced concepts, driving domestic services to upgrade their technology, business models and standards to align with international best practices, said Xu Shaofeng, senior vice-president of Schneider Electric.

施耐德电气高级副总裁徐韶峰表示，更大程度的开放将加快全球优质服务业资源和先进理念的流入，推动国内服务业升级其技术、商业模式和标准，与国际最佳实践接轨。

For foreign firms engaged in the services sector, they could gain access to a market of 1.4 billion people, including a middle-income group of 400 million that is projected to reach 800 million over the next decade.

对于从事服务业的外资企业而言，它们将有机会进入一个拥有14亿人口的市场，其中包括一个4亿人的中等收入群体，而这一群体预计在未来十年将增至8亿人。

"China's continued efforts to open up its services sector and its policies to boost services consumption have greatly enhanced our confidence in the market," said Mao Yibing, president of Marriott International Greater China.

万豪国际集团大中华区总裁毛怡冰表示：“中国持续推进服务业开放以及促进服务消费的政策，大大增强了我们对市场的信心。”

"Chinese consumers are paying increasing attention to experience," Mao said. "We can clearly see the strong potential of China's leisure travel market, with themes such as weekend getaways, family trips, cultural exploration and sports entertainment becoming key areas of focus."

毛怡冰说：“中国消费者越来越注重体验。我们可以清晰地看到中国休闲旅游市场的巨大潜力，周末短途游、家庭出游、文化探索和体育娱乐等主题正成为重点关注的领域。”

Marriott will continue to focus its expansion on first-tier and emerging first-ti...