An aerial view of Xiamen in Fujian province. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

Xiamen's Bureau of Commerce held a press conference on Sep 21 to present its plan for building a national pilot zone for the innovative development of trade in services. Leveraging its industrial and geographical strengths, Xiamen aims to develop the zone into a national hub for talent, innovation and other resources supporting trade in services.

In April, the Ministry of Commerce named 16 cities, including Xiamen, Beijing and Shanghai, as the first group to pilot a new national program for innovative development of trade in services. Xiamen followed in July with its own implementation plan, setting out its overall approach, goals and 19 key tasks.

Xiamen's plan stands out in several ways. It is demand-driven, promoting coordinated development across related industries, and it advances reforms and high-level opening-up — piloting measures such as cross-border mutual recognition of electronic signatures and contracts.

The plan also promotes the use of AI in international supply chains and aims to make Xiamen a major base for Chinese AI service providers expanding overseas. It expands international cooperation through a dedicated BRICS service trade zone and stronger BRICS ties. Finally, it highlights Xiamen's distinct role in trade with Taiwan.

Xiamen has stepped up innovation in trade in services in recent years, with 10 practices recognized as national firsts and four as national best-practice cases. From 2020 to 2025, the city's trade in services grew at an average annual rate of 14.2 percent. Four key sectors have emerged — aviation maintenance, transport, travel, and telecom, computer and information services.