Canton Fair contributes to promoting Belt and Road cooperation

China

Canton Fair contributes to promoting Belt and Road cooperation

2025-04-18 16:35 Last Updated At：22:27

With many exhibitors getting large orders and purchasers getting new products and new information, the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, is becoming an important platform for deepening cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Canton Fair's global partnership program has covered organizations from 105 countries and regions, and more than 140, or over 70 percent of the organizations, are from Belt and Road partner countries.

At the ongoing 137th edition of the Canton Fair, China's Wuhu MBO Import and Export Co., Ltd. is exhibiting its latest models of air conditioners that are able to make rooms warm amid a temperature of minus 35 degrees Celsius and keep the air cool amid 60 degrees Celsius, drawing many purchasers. The Canton Fair has helped the company expand its markets in China's Belt and Road partner countries in recent years.

"We estimate that we can sell 400,000 to 500,000 air conditioners at this edition of the Canton Fair. The number is actually much larger than we expected,"said Zhang Fan, general manager of Wuhu MBO Import and Export Co., Ltd.

"This air-conditioner brand is developing very fast in Uzbekistan. The number of our purchasing orders to this company increased from 10,000 sets to 60,000 sets in two years," said a purchaser from Uzbekistan.

Old and new comers from China's Belt and Road partner countries said the Canton Fair has been bringing new business opportunities for them.

"We are looking also for AI products. Now we can see this market is going to this direction, it's very hot. So we are studying also this market to introduce it later in Brazil," said a Brazilian purchaser.

"We give orders also, and we will give more (orders) also," said a Pakistani purchaser.

The 137th edition of the Canton Fair kicked off on Tuesday, with the number of export exhibitors exceeding 30,000 for the first time in the history of this famous event.

Scheduled to take place from April 15 to May 5 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, the current edition of the fair has brought together about 31,000 participating firms, up by nearly 900 compared with the previous fair.

More than 200,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions have preregistered, with the lineup featuring the likes of retail giants Walmart and Target from the United States, Carrefour from France, Tesco and Kingfisher from Britain, and Germany's Metro.

The current edition of the fair is divided into three phases. The first will focus on advanced manufacturing, the second on quality home furnishings, and the third on products that promote a better quality of life.

The event will involve 172 product zones, including, for the first time, a special zone for service robots focused on showcasing the latest achievements of China's AI development efforts.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.