Qingdao hosts a business promotion forum at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Sept 4. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Qingdao in East China's Shandong province saw steady development in the level and scale of its trade in services during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period, showing a good development trend and international competitiveness, according to a report released at the ongoing 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Sept 4.

The report by Devott Service Outsourcing Research Center provided an overall evaluation of Qingdao's trade in services in five aspects: development scale, industrial structure, competitiveness index, development potential and level of opening up.

During the event, deals for 15 industrial projects and six trade in services projects in Qingdao worth 34.1 billion yuan ($5.28 billion) were signed.

These projects cover various industries such as high-end equipment, new energy and new materials, new-generation information technology, and modern service industries such as biomedicine, cultural creativity, and boutique tourism.

Themed "Towards Digital Future and Service-driven Development," the 2021 CIFTIS features a new section for digital services, with up to 33 well-known enterprises and institutions participating in this special section.

This year's event attracted more than 12,000 enterprises, up 52 percent from 2020. Representatives from 153 countries and regions signed up for this year's event, compared to 148 last year.

The six-day 2021 CIFTIS will end on Sept 7, with businesses wrapping up their exhibitions of products and services offline and online.