Over 10,000 domestic and international buyers and exhibitors flocked to Chenghai District of Shantou City of Guangdong Province in south China on Friday for the 23rd International Toy Expo, expecting to seize more business opportunities.
Known as "the capital of toys," Chenghai District produces one third of the global plastic toys. Taking the chance of the Toy Expo, over 3,000 international buyers gathered to cooperate with local toy makers, posing to further expand Chenghai's vibrant toy industry, as contracts totaling over 12 billion yuan (about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars) have been signed.
"Overseas clients have diversified requirements for products. So, we roll out 30 to 40 new types of toys every year. Our export has reached around 300 million to 400 million yuan this year, featuring a 35 percent growth," said Xie Yipeng, president assistant of a toy company in Guangdong.
As an economic pillar of the region, Chenghai's toy industry exports to over 120 countries and regions, with total exports amounting to over 6.7 billion yuan (about 950 million U.S. dollars) from January to August this year, at a growth rate of eight percent.
For the future, Chenghai expects to enhance its reputation in toy making, positioning the Toy Expo as a landmark event for China's toy industry, said Wang Jianfeng, executive deputy head of the Chenghai Toy Association.
"(We are to) build (the Toy Expo) into a landmark event for China's toy industry, and expand the influence and prestige of Chenghai toys through this platform, so as to stimulate the vigorous development of toy industry and culture," said Wang.
Global buyers flock to Shantou toy expo
The 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting concluded in east China's Suzhou on Saturday, yielding fruitful results and laying significant groundwork for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November.
The trade ministers' meeting focused on "building an open and predictable regional and multilateral economic and trade order" and "fostering new engines of innovative and dynamic trade and investment cooperation."
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao briefed the media on the meeting's outcomes at a press conference.
Wang said the meeting issued a joint statement titled the Suzhou Statement, and approved the latest edition of the APEC Roadmap for Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Services.
All parties agreed to advance policy innovation and reform in services trade, build an open and predictable investment environment, improve regional trade facilitation and supply chain resilience, strengthen standards coordination, and enhance intellectual property protection, Wang told the media.
He also said that substantial progress was made on a framework document for regional digital trade cooperation and the ministers emphasized promoting inclusive AI development, strengthening AI-related trade, and bridging the digital divide to ensure shared benefits from digital transformation.
The minister noted that the outcomes of the meeting demonstrated strong cooperation willingness, highlighted an innovation-oriented approach, and reflected inclusiveness and shared benefits. "The fact that Asia-Pacific economies can come together, uphold the original aspiration of promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation while supporting economic growth and prosperity, and engage in in-depth discussions on the important issue of 'where multilateral and regional economic and trade cooperation is headed,' fully demonstrates that open regionalism and true multilateralism enjoy broad support, and that mutual success and shared development serve the fundamental interests of all economies," Wang said.
2026 APEC trade ministers' meeting concludes with fruitful results
