China digital trade and service export expansion

China is experiencing a structural shift in its trade landscape, with service and digital intangible trade growing significantly faster than traditional goods trade. The Ministry of Commerce is actively fostering growth in digital services, including remote medical care, online education, cloud computing, and digital content such as gaming, animation, and film.

By 2025, the total import and export volume of digitally deliverable services reached $432.31 billion, a 6.3% year-on-year increase. Telecommunications, computer, and information services specifically grew from $93.73 billion in 2020 to $154.53 billion in 2025, representing an average annual growth rate exceeding 10%. In the first seven months of 2025, China's total service import and export reached 808.23 billion yuan, with exports increasing by 14.2%.

Cultural and technological exports remain key drivers. China has exported over 130,000 web novel works to approximately 250 million registered overseas users. Major firms like Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud are expanding overseas infrastructure to provide digital transformation services globally. At the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), Chinese technological solutions in AI, smart energy, and agricultural machinery were showcased for markets including Brazil, Australia, and Indonesia.

To sustain this momentum, the government is implementing policies to expand high-quality service imports and encourage knowledge-intensive exports. This includes opening sectors such as value-added telecommunications, biotechnology, and foreign-invested hospitals to foreign investment while supporting small and medium-sized businesses in entering international markets.