China's AI development achievements catch spotlight at Canton Fair

China

China's AI development achievements catch spotlight at Canton Fair

2025-04-18 17:29 Last Updated At：18:07

The ongoing 137th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, has fascinated visitors with the latest achievements of China's artificial intelligence development efforts.

The fair kicked off on Tuesday in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province, with the number of export exhibitors exceeding 30,000 for the first time in the history of this event.

The first phase of the Canton Fair, held from April 15 to 19, focuses on advanced manufacturing and for the first time added a special zone for service robots.

Many overseas buyers at the service robots zone use their mobile phones to capture images of robotic dogs, industrial exoskeleton equipment, automatic cruise robots, coffee-making robots and other products, while asking exhibitors for more details about their functions.

"I am very impressed by China's achievements in AI. This is my first time visiting the Canton Fair, and the innovations I have seen in AI are incredible. What China has achieved has broken down communication barriers not only within the country, but also for the whole world," said a Russian buyer.

"It is amazing. Everything looks very, very cutting-edge, like, wow. I look [have seen] many, many applications in the future for the Chinese technology here so I would do business with them," said a Swedish buyer.

Many overseas buyers are shifting their product selection priorities from a focus on the price-performance ratio to a technology-oriented approach. For numerous international customers, high technology and intelligence have become a key factors in their purchasing decisions.

"I am particularly looking for the house cleaning robots, and we found some very, very good products. [Smart products] are getting more popular now. I've been coming to China for about 10 years. I saw the difference every year getting higher and higher and better and better products," said a Brazilian buyer.

The fair also includes an industry trend forum focused on AI plus consumer electronics, bringing together domestic AI experts, analysts, representatives from industry organizations and research institutions, and corporate representatives to explore the deep integration of AI technology with the consumer electronics sector.

"We see huge business opportunities existing abroad. As an emerging company, we also hope to take the Canton Fair as a platform to assess the overseas market. We have already received numerous inquiries and business contacts from various countries," said Tian Gang, a Chinese exhibitor.

Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.

European leaders reaffirm Greenland sovereignty, stress Arctic security

Leaders of seven European countries on Tuesday reaffirmed that Greenland "belongs to its people," stressing that issues concerning Denmark and Greenland must be decided solely by Denmark and Greenland, according to a joint statement.

The statement, released by Denmark's Prime Minister's Office, was signed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," the statement said.

The leaders underscored that Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and is critical for international and transatlantic security. They noted that NATO has made clear the Arctic region is a priority and that European allies are increasing their presence there.

The statement noted that the Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland, is part of NATO, and said security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.

Calling the United States an "essential partner," the leaders also referred to the 1951 defence agreement between Denmark and the United States.

The Prime Minister of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Tuesday that Greenland is open to dialogue and discussions with the U.S., but "they must take place through the proper channels and in respect of international law."

The PM also urged respect from the U.S. side, saying "Our country is not an object in great power rhetoric." Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last month as the U.S. special envoy to Greenland, said that Trump "supports an independent Greenland with economic ties and trade opportunities for the United States," Reuters reported.

Trump said in a telephone interview on Sunday with The Atlantic that the United States "absolutely" needs Greenland. He also discussed the U.S. intervention in Venezuela.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in gaining control of Greenland, saying that he would not rule out using "military or economic coercion" to achieve that goal.