The 136th China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, is championing rural revitalization by helping enterprises from once-impoverished areas expand their footprint into overseas markets.
Since the third phase of the event opened in south China's Guangzhou on Thursday, the exhibition booths of products for rural revitalization in 19 categories have attracted many international buyers.
The products, ranging from gourmet foods to sporting and leisure goods, were brought by 212 enterprises from areas that have been lifted from poverty in recent years. "We brought our ecological tea products here and have reached cooperation intentions with some European traders. We hope the Canton Fair can help our featured rural industries to expand into the overseas market," said Liu Xiaobei, an exhibitor.
The Canton Fair has also reduced more than 18 million yuan (around 2.53 million U.S. dollars) of exhibition booth fees for the enterprises, while providing them with free translation and business guidance services.
Launched in 1957 and held twice yearly, the Canton Fair is considered a major gauge of China's foreign trade.
The third phase of the 136th edition runs through Nov 4.
Canton Fair boosts rural revitalization efforts
Canton Fair boosts rural revitalization efforts
The Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) entered a new phase of marine construction on Monday morning, marked by the completion of the east tower's piling work of the Liuwudian Channel Bridge, a pivotal component of the project, in Xiamen of Fujian Province in east China.
The Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) spans 17.34 km and is designed to link the Xiamen island with the Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport that is currently under construction. The Liuwudian Channel Bridge is the province's first offshore suspension bridge and largest span bridge with a total length of 1,948 meters and a main span of 928 meters in length.
The pile foundation of the east bridge tower was completed on Monday after four months of work, while that of the west one is expected to finish at the end of this month.
Confronted with complex geological conditions and the challenge of transporting materials to the offshore construction site, the team newly built a large-scale mixing station and employed six rotary drilling rigs which operated around the clock.
With a total investment of 37.27 billion yuan (about 5.12 billion U.S. dollars), the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) will become the most efficient connection between the Xiamen island and the Xiang'an Airport. Once completed, it will ease traffic congestion and greatly enhance transport efficiency in the region.
The Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) started construction in October 2023, and is expected to be completed simultaneously with the Xiang'an Airport Expressway in 2026.
Kinmen is an important hub for interaction across the Taiwan Strait. Growing trade and commercial links between Kinmen and Xiamen have made the building of the bridge a common desire of many people in the region.
Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge enters marine construction stage
