Fruitful 135th Canton Fair inspires hopes for autumn session

The 135th China Import and Export Fair, or the Canton Fair, successfully concluded on Sunday, and many satisfied buyers and exhibitors are already looking forward to participating in the autumn session of the fair.

On the last day of the 135th Canton Fair, lasting from April 15 to May 5 in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong in south China, the venue was still packed with a lot of buyers interested in Chinese products. The international buyers of this Canton Fair came from 215 countries and regions around the world, with more than 240,000 people attending the fair offline, an increase of 24.5 percent year on year.

"It's an amazing experience. It's quite large and also very well organized," said Reiner Gomez, a buyer from Venezuela, a first timer to the Canton Fair.

"[I'm] overwhelmed, because it's so many things I didn't expect, but I love it," said Dei, a buyer from Lithuania.

The 135th Canton Fair has proved to be fruitful for both exhibitors and buyers. While exhibitors put up their latest products and technologies, buyers, in turn, engaged in productive negotiations and established valuable connections with their suppliers.

"We saw some amazing AI software, which I think will become a very hot product," said Gomez.

"We're already working with a lot of companies, but it's a great place to come and meet new suppliers, actually see the products and create relationships with the suppliers," said James Dichi, a buyer from Mexico.

At the Canton Fair, buyers from various countries around the world set up close partnerships with Chinese companies, and they believe they could find more business opportunities on this platform, so they expect to participate in the next session of the fair in autumn.

"More than 90 percent of the turnover of our company is made at the Canton Fair, so we will try to participate in every session of this fair," said Li Yu, an exhibitor.

"We were thinking of coming next year, but now we want to come in September that they say there's another one," said Florencia Lopez, a buyer from Argentina.

"I come two times every year. I don't miss a Canton Fair and I won't miss one," said Dichi.

Launched in 1957 and held twice a year, the Canton Fair is considered a major bellwether for China's foreign trade.

Fruitful 135th Canton Fair inspires hopes for autumn session

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday visited Harbin Institute of Technology in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and met with students and faculty at the university.

Harbin Institute of Technology carries out extensive scientific and educational cooperation with well-known Russian universities.

Putin was first shown around the institute's museum, where he learned about the university's history and achievements in education.

The Russian president then gave a speech to students and faculty at an auditorium.

Putin said that cooperation between Russian and Chinese universities provides excellent learning opportunities for young people in both countries, and also deepens mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.

Russia is willing to continue strengthening cooperation with China to provide more platforms for exchanges and mutual learning for young people in both countries, he added.

Putin said that as the fields of cooperation between Russia and China become wider, more and more talents who understand both languages and are proficient in professional fields are needed.

Putin concluded his two-day state visit to China on Friday, his first foreign trip after starting a new term as the Russian president.

Putin visits Harbin Institute of Technology