China’s State Council has unveiled a strategic plan to elevate the nation’s service sector to over 100 trillion yuan in total scale by 2030, marking a pivotal step in the country’s economic transformation.
The initiative, formalized in the “Opinions on Promoting the Expansion and Quality Improvement of the Service Sector,” outlines a dual-track approach focused on expanding capacity and enhancing quality across both productive and lifestyle services. Central to the plan is the strengthening of weak links in productive services, including technology, logistics, and finance, while simultaneously upgrading consumption-oriented sectors such as elderly care, health, and cultural tourism.
To boost technological services, the plan calls for nurturing leading enterprises in industrial design, enhancing the open sharing of major scientific infrastructure, and accelerating the commercialization of innovations through expanded incubation and pilot platforms. It also emphasizes intellectual property services, including patent navigation and international copyright operations, to strengthen China’s position in global innovation chains.
In modern logistics, the strategy promotes multimodal transport systems, advocating for the nationwide implementation of “one document” and “one container” models. It encourages shifting freight from road to rail and water, upgrading railway freight to logistics integration, and expanding international shipping and air cargo capabilities. Warehouse reforms include modernizing cold chain facilities and repurposing idle logistics assets for distributed storage.
The wholesale sector is targeted for structural upgrades, with guidance to rationalize bulk commodity markets, integrate futures and spot trading, and develop end-to-end procurement and distribution systems. Agricultural wholesale markets are slated for renovation to improve efficiency and food safety standards.
On the lifestyle front, the plan aims to expand access to high-quality home services, improve the adaptability of elderly and childcare services, and deepen the professionalization of health services. Cultural, sports, and tourism offerings will be reimagined through innovative formats to meet rising demand for personalized and experiential consumption.
The policy reflects a long-standing emphasis by President Xi Jinping on services as a driver of structural change, tracing back to his early operate in Zhejiang where he advocated for services to develop into a “dynamic force” in economic development. This vision has evolved from viewing services as a promising third sector to recognizing them as a primary engine of growth, particularly as their contribution to GDP expansion surpassed 50% in 2015 and reached 61.7% in the first quarter of 2026.
By anchoring the 2030 target in measurable outcomes — including the cultivation of globally competitive “China Service” brands and enhanced public satisfaction — the framework seeks to align market dynamism with strategic state guidance. The overarching goal is to build a modern industrial system where services not only support manufacturing and agriculture but also lead in innovation, efficiency, and employment.
What specific measures are proposed to strengthen technological services under the new plan?
The plan includes nurturing industrial design leaders, improving the sharing and management of major scientific infrastructure, supporting incubators for emerging industries, building pilot platforms for manufacturing and AI applications, and strengthening technology transfer and intellectual property services.
How does the plan aim to reform the logistics sector?
It promotes multimodal transport, shifts freight from road to rail and water, upgrades railway freight to logistics integration, develops international shipping and air cargo, and modernizes warehouse facilities, especially cold chain storage.