Canton Fair showcases cutting-edge toys, stationery

Smart toys and intelligent stationery have attracted many attention at the ongoing 135th session of China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

During the fair, more than 800 toy companies presented their products to buyers from home and abroad across an exhibition area of 35,200 square meters.

One of the eye-catching products is an upgraded, tech-powered version of Klotski, or a sliding block puzzle. Players can choose game difficulty levels, and get tips throughout the process during which they get a red car out of a six-by-six grid full of automobiles by moving the other vehicles out of its way.

The product has increased visitor flows, said its developer Douzhi Toys.

"Toys should follow the trend of going intelligent too. Yesterday, we received more than 100 visits, which exceeded our expectations. Visitors think this product is novel," said Huang Xiaoyan, a representative of Douzhi Toys.

Another product making a deep impression on buyers is a path-tracking robot developed by Hendee Toys.

"Our path-tracking robot has two infrared probes at the bottom. So when the robot walks on the black line, it will follow the line precisely. AI has indeed become a trend in recent years, so we have integrated the technology into our toys, to satisfy the change in market demand. Next, we may upgrade the toy, to enable it to recognize multiple colors and to equip it with more functions. More products are under development," said Yang Feng, a representative of Hendee Toys.

"I sell many robots in France. So I think this project is very interesting. It looks very nice and also the price is very good. And actually in Europe price is very important," said Sofie, a French buyer.

In addition to toys, many stationeries are also powered by state-of-the-art technologies.

During the Canton Fair, one stationery brand showcases a 700-gram portable printer, which does not need to be plugged in. The company representative said that the machine is popular amongst buyers from Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

Other tech-powered items include a marker airbrush and a loose-leaf notebook with power bank and wireless charging.

"This product looks like a small hair dryer, which can turn a marker into an inkjet printer. We insert the pen into the device and it can immediately spray coating materials onto paper in an evenly manner. As you can see, a cute little rocket is completed. Not only can children use it for creative painting, adults can also use it to paint clothes, shoes, and bags," said Qin Qianming, a reporter of CCTV.

"As you can see, this is a notebook integrated with a power bank. There is a charging cable on its back. We can charge our mobile phones while taking notes. Its loose-leaf design allows it to be used again and again. When the notebook is closed and a mobile phone is placed on it, the phone can be immediately charged in a wireless way," said Qin.

The Canton Fair opened on April 15 and is scheduled to end on Sunday.

Canton Fair showcases cutting-edge toys, stationery

San Francisco is eager to promote cooperation in air travel, green transition and more areas with China, and is anticipating to welcome a pair of giant pandas from the other side of the Pacific Ocean, said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

Last month, Breed led a delegation to China's Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai to deepen friendly cooperation between the U.S. city and China.

In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in San Francisco, Breed highlighted the outcomes of the trip, outlining potential areas for increased cooperation between the two sides.

"The technology and also the desire to have a more significant impact on the climate, the electric vehicles and the electric vehicle infrastructure," she said.

The mayor also emphasized that expanding flight options would make San Francisco more accessible, fueling tourism growth and its contribution to the local economy.

"It appears the airlines there were very much interested in adding more flights, and we know that San Francisco also has incentives for landing fee waivers and other things. So we're ready to go. But there are some, you know, real challenges with the department of transportation, and there are things that are way above my level. But we are being very aggressive about encouraging more flight options to San Francisco from China, not just because of the relationships of the people who live here, but because of the economic impacts," she said.

During Breed's visit to Beijing, an arrangement was reached under which two giant pandas will have a temporary home in San Francisco from next year.

On the last stop of her eight-day official trip, Breed also visited the giant panda sanctuary at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park.

Mayor Breed concluded by discussing the local community's excitement surrounding the arrival of the black-and-white bears.

"We are really hopeful and optimistic that we can actually receive the pandas, hopefully early next year and at the latest maybe sometime summer of 2025. We are super excited about welcoming them here to San Francisco," she said.

San Francisco eager to increase cooperation with China, welcome giant pandas: mayor