Canton Fair opens in Guangzhou with focus on advanced manufacturing
The 140th Canton Fair opened on Thursday in Guangzhou, with over 30,000 exhibitors and about 340,000 overseas buyers expected. The event, running until November 4, features advanced manufacturing in its first phase and marks its 70th anniversary with messages from Chinese leaders.
The China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair, opened on Thursday in Guangzhou, with more than 30,000 exhibiting companies and about 340,000 overseas buyers expected to attend.
Running until 4 November, the 140th edition of the event is organised into three phases. The first phase centres on advanced manufacturing, featuring over 12,000 participating enterprises and more than 25,000 booths, including 17 specialised zones for emerging and future-oriented industries such as robots and drones.
Aligning with new trends in foreign trade, more than one-third of the 32,000 participating enterprises are classified as specialised, refined, distinctive and innovative (SRDI) firms, a designation for high-quality, niche companies. The fair will host over 700 product launch events, with the number of new products being unveiled representing a 15 per cent increase over the previous session.
To mark the fair's 70th anniversary, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter on Wednesday, highlighting its significant role in promoting trade exchanges between China and other countries. He noted that it serves as an effective platform for China to expand high-level opening-up and promote the building of an open world economy.
Premier Li Qiang delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony the same day, describing the country as both a super seller and a super buyer, bringing benefits to its trading partners. He pledged that China will continue to advance high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up, and take more practical actions to inject momentum into the world economy.
Premier Li also held a symposium with participating enterprises and overseas buyers, encouraging companies from around the world to increase their investment in China and strengthen cooperation across industrial and supply chains.