Officials visit the cultural and creative exhibition area at CIFTIS. [Photo/ bjwzb.gov.cn]

Some of Beijing’s cultural and creative achievements were on display at the 2017 Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) which opened at the China National Convention Center on May 28. 

The exhibition, with a theme of openness, collaboration and development within the cultural industry, focused on the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the major strategy of coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the 13th Five Year Plan (2016-2020) for the development of that industry.

More than 40 cultural and creative enterprises from China, the US, Russia and New Zealand appeared at the fair. The vice-minister of culture, vice-minister of commerce and other high-level officials, accompanied by the director of SOCASAO, visited the area and watched an interactive experience project. 

The cultural and creative exhibition was composed of two parts:a themed exhibition and an industry forum. 

The exhibition, as the platform for the cooperation and exchanges of cultural and creative enterprises, was a natural recommendation of projects attracting foreign business and investment. It focused on coordinated development of the cultural and creative industry in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province and the aggregation of their resources for the promotion of cooperation in that sector. 

The second China and Central and Eastern European Countries Cultural and Creative Industry Forum 2017 ＆ The 11th International Service Trade Forum are the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in the cultural and creative field. They are organized by China’s Ministry of Culture, SOCASAO and Beijing International Studies University. 

Since the release of the Riga Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries in November 2016, Eastern European countries have paid a great deal of attention to cooperation with China in the cultural and creative industry and international trade.