This photo taken on Oct. 15, 2023 shows the scene of the 134th session of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)
BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 134th session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, opened in Guangzhou on October 15, which has attracted exhibitors and buyers from across the globe with new products, new technologies, and new services emerged.
According to statistics, 28,533 companies have participated in this year's event, reaching a historical high. About 60 percent of the exhibitors attending the import exhibition are Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries.
The event is expected to provide a platform for displaying China's innovative achievements in manufacturing to the world, help companies secure orders and expand markets, ultimately contributeto the efforts aimed at promoting stability in scale and refinement inthestructure of foreign trade, said Xu Bing, spokesperson for the Canton Fair and deputy director general of China Foreign Trade Centre.
--New and longtime friends enthusiastically attend
Liverpool, one of the largest chain department stores in Mexico, attended the Canton Fair with its Chinese and Mexican procurement teams, comprising a total of 55 people, united in the pursuit of high-quality products, such as kitchenware and electronic products, many of which bear the label "Made in Guangdong."
"During the fair, we have not only established solid cooperative relationships with Chinese suppliers, but also forged strong friendships. We are confident that we will achieve all our expectations at this Canton Fair," said Juan Ramón Pérez, regional general manager for Asia of Liverpool.
It is anticipated that the attendance at this year's Canton Fair will show a noticeable increase compared to the 133rd Canton Fair and up to now, more than 100,000 buyers from 215 countries and regions have pre-registered, said Xu Bing.
Regarding the sources of buyers, Xu Bing explained that buyers from key markets actively participated in the Fair. The number of pre-registered buyers from Europe and America rose by 8.6 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The BRI partner countries increased by 11.2 percent, and the RCEP countries increased by 13.8 percent.
In addition, the number of joint purchasing teams has seen a significant rise. Xu Bing mentioned that 97 industrial and business institutions from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa have organized joint teams to participate in the Fair, representing an increase of 86.5 percent compared to the same period in the previous session.
--Significant enhancement in international competitiveness shown
The Canton Fair serves as a barometer and indicator of China's foreign trade, and the structure of its exhibition areas also reflects the changes in China's industrial structure and export commodity structure, said Xu Bing.
In recent years, China's export commodity structure has been continuously optimized. The international competitiveness of a range of high-tech, high-value-added, green and low-carbon products has significantly improved. From January to August this year, the export of electromechanical products grew by 23.8 percent, reaching a share of 58.8 percent in total exports. The export value of "three new items", namely new energy vehicles, photovoltaic products, and lithium batteries, increased by 34.7 percent year-on-year.
Peng Ye, Asia-Pacific Regional Managerof Guangdong Lvtong New Energy Electric Vehicle Technology Co.,Ltd., said, "Lvtong has been participating in the Canton Fair almost every year since 2005. We acquired nearly 20 to 30 percent of our customers and agents through the Fair. The company's agents in the Middle East and Europe have developed mutual understanding and thus established long-term cooperation in the Canton Fair."
Lvtong is a Chinese manufacturer of new energy-power vehicles, with over 90 percent of its products being exported. Its customer base is widespread, covering more than 150 countries and regions worldwide, with the main markets being the United States and the Asia-Pacific region. "Currently, our market share ranks fourth globally, and many customers from Southeast Asia have placed their trust in the Lvtong brand," Peng Ye stated.
Xu Bing introduced the first phase of this year's Canton Fair has expanded the scale of the electromechanical products exhibition area, including home appliances, electronic consumer goods, machinery and equipment, and new energy. The exhibition area has added about 3,000 booths, with an increase of over 18 percent, which provides more exhibition opportunities for high-tech and high-value-added enterprises, allowing them to display more innovative, high-end, intelligent and green products. In particular, the new energy exhibition area has experienced a significant increase of 172 percent in scale.
-- Stability and qualityof foreign trade enhanced
The Canton Fair is not only an important window to observe China's opening up, but also an important platform to promote foreign trade.
"As a specialized exhibition for foreign trade, the Canton Fair has brought us many overseas customers," said Deng Qining, sales manager of Guangdong Greenway Technology Co., Ltd.
Wei Jianguo, vice chairman of China Center for International Economic Exchanges and former vice minister of China's Ministry of Commerce, emphasized that the Canton Fair provides a platform for more small- and medium-sized enterprises, cross-border e-commerce enterprises, and enterprises in the central and western regions to directly and conveniently engage with domestic and foreign buyers, which also helps these enterprises to promote their products, technology and brands to the forefront of the international market.
Mao Yanhua, dean of the Institute of Regional Openness and Cooperation of Sun Yat-Sen University, believes that the Canton Fair provides a continuous trading platform for entrepreneurs, enabling round-the-clock transactions both online and offline, and bringing never-ending transaction opportunities for businesspersons.
With the accelerated growth of cross-border e-commerce, Chinese foreign trade enterprises should not only use the Canton Fair to strengthen their connection with customers, but also leverage cross-border e-commerce platforms to expand their trading activities. Mao emphasized the significance of integrating tangible products with intangible services, for example, by prioritizing the establishment of overseas warehouses and providing better services.
(Edited by Gao Jingyan with Xinhua Silk Road, gaojingyan@xinhua.org)
A single purchase
