Foreign buyers hit record for first phase of China's Canton Fair

GUANGZHOU -- The first phase of the 139th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, closed on Sunday with a record number of overseas buyers, the organizer said.

As of 5 pm on Sunday, about 167,000 overseas buyers from 216 countries and regions had attended the offline exhibition, up 5.9 percent from the same period of the previous edition, according to the China Foreign Trade Center.

The turnout, the highest for any first phase of the fair, underscored the resilience and vitality of China's foreign trade, it said. The first phase of the fair, themed "advancing manufacturing," featured more than 25,000 booths and over 12,000 exhibitors.

This year's fair is being held in three offline phases in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, and will run through May 5. The second phase, scheduled from April 23 to 27, will focus on "quality home life," including building materials, furniture, household products, gifts and decorations.

Established in 1957, the Canton Fair takes place twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China, and it has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.