China issues guidelines to improve capacity, quality of service sector

BEIJING -- China has issued a new set of guidelines aimed at expanding capacity and upgrading the quality of the service sector.

The guidelines, released by the State Council on Tuesday, state that the total scale of China's service sector is expected to reach 100 trillion yuan (about $14.58 trillion) by 2030.

More "China Services" brands will be fostered by then, with the sector's global competitiveness and influence significantly enhanced, and people's sense of gain steadily improving, according to the guidelines.

Efforts should be made to strengthen the supporting role of science and technology services, enhance the competitiveness of modern logistics, and accelerate innovation-driven development in software and information services.

Priority should also be given to expanding the supply of high-quality services for residents, improving the elderly care and childcare services, enhancing the quality of health services, and fostering new models in culture, tourism and sports-related services, according to the guidelines.

China attaches great importance to the development of the service sector. The country held its first national conference on the service sector earlier this month, while its latest five-year plan also calls for improving the sector's quality, efficiency and competitiveness.

In 2025, China's service sector made up 57.7 percent of GDP and contributed 61.4 percent to the country's economic growth. It also provided around half of the country's total employment.