Measures in place to bolster Canton Fair

Authorities have introduced a host of reform and innovation measures to further enhance the China Import and Export Fair, promote foreign trade and better serve participating companies of the 139th session of the event.

In addition to further optimizing the exhibition zone layout, a total of nine specialized zones, including smart wearables, display technology, consumer drones, prefabricated integrated houses and courtyard facilities have been established at the event, also known as the Canton Fair, according to Zhang Jinsong, director general of the department of commerce of Guangdong province.

A large number of innovative products are making their debuts in a concentrated manner, demonstrating new trends in foreign trade development, he said.

Participating enterprises this year better reflect the development of new quality productive forces with more high-quality companies, including specialized, sophisticated, unique and innovative firms, as well as single-product champions taking part in the fair.

"Among the 32,000 participating companies, as many as 11,000 fall into this category," he said.

The latest session of the country's biggest trade event kicked off in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, on Wednesday, attracting a record number of international buyers in the first two days and highlighting just how popular "Made-in-China" products are among global buyers.

A total of 290 leading purchasing enterprises, including Walmart from the United States and Samsung Electronics from South Korea have confirmed their participation, said Zhang.

Amid recent fluctuations in the attendance of buyers from the Middle East at global exhibitions, authorities have rolled out a dedicated service package featuring online business matching for absent Middle Eastern enterprises and targeted live exhibition tours on overseas social media for the Middle Eastern market.

Canton Fair, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, is held twice a year. This session of the fair, which includes three phases, serves as a barometer of China's foreign trade and even global trade.

Zhang said the new session of the fair has expanded trade matchmaking with a one-stop service center established to provide diversified services including on-demand matching as well as exhibitor inquiries.

A series of high-quality forums and new product debuts will be organized to optimize whole-chain services through joint efforts, said Zhang.

Zhu Xiaomei, an executive with Guangdong Xinbao Electrical Appliances Holdings Co Ltd, said her company has brought its new household appliances that feature artificial intelligence technologies to the fair, showcasing the quality, innovation and tech behind the latest products made in the country.

An air purifier her company produces has been known as an "air management expert", she said.

"Powered by AI and IoT (the internet of things) connectivity, it integrates purification, dehumidification, humidification, heating and cooling to deliver full-room air management," Zhu said.

According to Feng Guoqing, deputy director of Guangdong sub-administration of General Administration of Customs of China, Guangdong, China's biggest foreign trader, reached an import and export volume of 2.54 trillion yuan ($372.17 billion) in the first quarter, up 19.4 percent year-on-year.

This edition of the fair covers a total area of 1.55 million square meters, with 75,700 booths and more than 32,000 participating enterprises, all reaching record highs.