The 139th Canton Fair concluded on May 5th, attracting 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions, a 1.1% increase from the previous session. More impressive than the numbers was the vibrant scene on the ground: this 70-year-old exhibition, held amidst rising trade protectionism and a rapidly restructuring global industrial and supply chain landscape, remained bustling with high energy, with enthusiasm spilling from the exhibition halls to the surrounding areas. The growing prominence of the "China's No. 1 Exhibition" reflects the strong allure of "China Opportunity" and serves as a testament to the steady progress of the Chinese economy.
Walking through the Canton Fair, one gains a tangible sense of the resilience and vitality of China's foreign trade and broader economy. At the fair, we witnessed China's robust and reliable industrial and supply chains. Old friends and new acquaintances arrived in droves. "Every second at the Canton Fair is precious," "The world needs the Canton Fair more than ever," and "For business, you still have to come to the Canton Fair" were common sentiments among international buyers. Long-time attendees trust the stability and flexibility of Chinese supply chains, returning faithfully year after year for decades. Huang Yijun, Chairman of the Indonesian conglomerate Pan Brothers Group, stated that over the decades, they have procured more than 200,000 types of goods from China, with new products continuously emerging at the Canton Fair, making it almost a one-stop shop. Newcomers were drawn by innovative and popular items, keen to stay at the forefront of market trends. Diana, a first-time buyer from Venezuela, remarked after touring the fair, "Everything I need is here; China's industrial and supply chains are truly impressive."
At the Canton Fair, we observed Chinese enterprises striving for progress through innovation and transformation. They are developing new products. Exoskeleton robots enabling the disabled to stand and walk, intelligent delivery robots shuttling back and forth, drones taking to the skies—among the 4.65 million exhibits at this session, new products, green products, and products with independent intellectual property accounted for 23%, 22%, and 25% respectively. High-end intelligence and green, low-carbon solutions have become new hallmarks of Chinese foreign trade. They are exploring new business models. Moving beyond merely selling goods, many now offer integrated services. Over 7% of exhibiting enterprises provided partners with comprehensive "hardware + software + service" solutions at this fair, with nearly 30% transitioning towards this model. At the Ai Yuan Wu Light Industry AI Design Workstation booth, five tables were consistently occupied; clients presented requirements, and staff could modify designs and adjust samples within minutes on their self-developed platform. The company also booked a nearby café, offering services and trend information from 9 AM to 10 PM, noting that "demand is very strong." They are开拓 new markets. Many foreign trade companies, previously focused on traditional markets in Europe and America, are now simultaneously targeting emerging markets, including Belt and Road partner countries. A representative from Shenzhen Poweroak Newener Co., Ltd. mentioned that since its founding over a decade ago, the sales footprint of its energy storage products has expanded from Europe and America to Asia, Africa, and Latin America, steadily gaining both old and new clients.
At the Canton Fair, we saw the government's determination and actions in proactively optimizing services and adhering to high-standard opening up. Connecting the world and fostering mutual benefit has been the consistent mission of the Canton Fair for 70 years. This session featured 38 supply-procurement matchmaking events, 12 live exploration broadcasts, 25 specialized live streams for the Middle East market, and 9 themed forums, helping companies precisely expand their markets and efficiently seek business opportunities. The Canton Fair app was used by 553,000 people, with 317,000 instances of booth-level navigation, enabling "one-click access and one-code touring" for smoother offline connections. Guangzhou is home to over 500 specialized markets with an annual transaction volume exceeding 1.5 trillion yuan. During the fair, the city hosted its first Global Buyers and Professional Markets Matchmaking Conference, taking large groups of international buyers to explore specialized markets for textiles, leather goods, cosmetics, jewelry, and more, which effectively became "secondary procurement sites." This session also offered "customized service packages," including online supply-procurement matchmaking, for some buyers unable to attend in person. Specialized exploration activities for Middle Eastern buyers attracted over 3.05 million views and 290,000 interactions. Zhu Yong, Director of the China Foreign Trade Centre, stated, "We fully leverage the Canton Fair's function as an open platform, illuminating each journey for global merchants and enabling them to share new opportunities in China's development."
At the Canton Fair, we saw even more. Specialty catering, Pearl River night cruises, intangible cultural heritage experiences—buyers lingered, eagerly sharing their experiences on social media. The significant offline and online engagement further reflects China's push for the symbiotic growth of culture and economy, where the depth of Chinese culture and the quality of Chinese services merge to continuously generate new momentum for high-quality development.
Although this session of the Canton Fair has concluded, its long-tail effects are far from over. Moving from "exploring the exhibition" to "exploring the factories," many buyers proceeded directly to manufacturing sites after the fair to inspect processes and production capacity firsthand, and can continue engagement post-return using the official app, among other channels. Following the fair, Dongguan will host an International Buyer Matchmaking Conference for its Foreign Trade Industrial Clusters, leveraging Canton Fair resources to invite 100 high-quality overseas buyers for face-to-face meetings with local enterprises.
Withstanding shocks and navigating cycles stems from both unwavering strategic resolve and proactive, innovative actions. The Canton Fair and various business sectors empower each other, evolving from a single trade show into a major platform that connects diverse resources and integrates distinctive consumption with cultural heritage. From this enduring and increasingly popular "hub of activity," we see a more open and dynamic China, and we decode the secrets behind the resilient growth of the Chinese economy as it forges ahead against the waves.
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