Hydrogen cell-powered and electric bicycles are drawing crowds and clinching deals at the ongoing 137th Canton Fair, as manufacturers showcase cutting-edge green technologies reshaping global supply chains.
The 137th edition of the Canton Fair, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday. An exhibition area at the fair for service robots was packed with visitors. The zone was set up for the first time at the fair. It is in operation during phase I of the fair, themed advanced manufacturing.
The intelligent exhibition zone features over 1,100 participating enterprises showcasing more than 320,000 smart products, according to official statistics.
One of the hydrogen cell-powered and electric bicycles on display at the fair is a zero-emission scooter developed by a Chinese tech firm. It offers three modes: manual pedaling, hydrogen-assisted riding, and a hybrid mode. When activated, the latter two modes will convert hydrogen from a compact storage canister -- roughly the size of a water bottle -- into electricity via a fuel cell.
This not only powers the bike but also charges an integrated lithium battery for additional energy reserves.
A single canister, capable of storing hydrogen at 200 liters, or 500 times its volume, provides a range of 40-60 kilometers. Crucially, the production process relies solely on purified water, emitting no harmful pollutants during operation.
The innovation has sparked significant interest among international buyers.
"It's like a unique innovation, and we really, really like the concept. We are looking forward to doing some businesses here," said a purchaser.
"Many customers from India, Japan and Europe said they want to come over and have a look. We would like to hear more voices from abroad, so that we can update our products based on market demand. This is our fourth time to come to the fair, and we've actually gained a lot," said Fang Xinyu, the hydrogen-powered scooter exhibitor.
Nearby, another electric bicycle and scooter booth is exhibiting over a dozen self-designed models, including foldable bikes, scooters and all-terrain vehicles (ATV).
He Wu, the company's representative, emphasized heavy investment in R-and-D, claiming that all exhibits at their booth own independent intellectual property rights.
About 30 percent of human cost is spent on research and development, he said.
The push for homegrown brands aligns with China's broader trade trends. Official data reveal that the exports of self-owned brand products surged 10.2 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 22.8 percent of total export value.
The current edition of the fair features over 17,000 exhibitors with proprietary brands and nearly 22,000 companies holding international certifications, a testament to the country's ambition to ascend on global supply chains.
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 a barometer of China's foreign trade.
Green technology shines at Canton Fair as hydrogen bikes emerge popular
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
