More than 17,000 companies will attend the upcoming China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, organizers said.

A food delivery robot works in an outdoor exhibition pavilion near the China National Convention Center, where the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will be held, in the Beijing Olympic Park, Beijingl, on Sept. 1, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

As of Aug. 30, over 2,000 firms had signed up as offline exhibitors, while more than 4,000 companies will showcase their products and services online.

The fair, scheduled in early September, will feature 190 online and offline forums and business negotiation sessions, said Wu Lanlan, an official with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing Sub-council.

Overseas exhibitors and guests will mainly attend the fair through online platforms to forestall risks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Li Hengqing, an official with the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.

Along with the China Import and Export Fair and the China International Import Expo, the CIFTIS is another important platform for China's opening-up push and is expected to see the announcement of fresh opening-up policies.

Some 90,000 people, including those from international organizations and foreign embassies in China as well as overseas business associations, will attend the fair.