The 137th China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair, officially opened on Tuesday in south China's Guangzhou, with strong turnout from international participants.
According to organizers, over 200,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions have pre-registered for the event, reflecting a strong global interest in Chinese manufacturing and the robust trade platform.
The current fair sees a 5.8 percent increase in large delegation attendance. Notably, 255 companies that are either world's top 250 retailers or regional leading enterprises have confirmed their attendance, which set a new record.
"These figures reflect global buyers' trust and confidence in both the Canton Fair as a platform and Chinese manufacturing. The fair as an important platform promoting international trade has attracted buyers from all over the world to seek business opportunities, helped buyers from emerging markets find quality products more efficiently and precisely, and driven industrial upgrades," said Fang Yifan, international liaison director of the China Foreign Trade Center.
The 137th Canton Fair is set to run in three phases through early May, with the currently running first phase themed on advanced manufacturing, which covers cutting-edge sectors of electronics, electric appliances, smart manufacturing, new energy, and intelligent mobility.
This chapter of Canton Fair features the debut of a service robot zone, with a dedicated 4,200 square meters of floor space and 46 participating companies.
Another highlight is the proportion of new products first released in the fair, with many companies bringing 100 percent new products to the exhibition.
Launched in the spring of 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China, and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.
Canton Fair opens with strong international participation
