Driven by the Canton Fair, many foreign buyers have been visiting local factories in Guangdong Province to explore deeper cooperation, demonstrating the event's crucial role as a platform for strengthening business ties.
A household appliance maker in the manufacturing powerhouse city of Dongguan recently welcomed a group of customers from Canada.
After successful negotiations, the two sides signed a contract, with the company's new products expected to enter the Canadian market by October this year.
"I'm very impressed with the products that I have seen today. I feel that there could be a really good relationship that we could grow with your company. There are other options that we see on the floor that we can implement into our products, and then we can look at opportunities in the future," said James, a Canadian buyer.
Welland Medical, a company in Zhongshan City, also welcomed British buyers they met at the Canton Fair. Interested in the company's newly developed products, the buyers visited the production line for a closer look.
"The smart scales -- I think Welland have got products that we haven't seen anywhere else in the market. Loads of innovation. Looks really good. Lots of new, new products," said British buyer Eliza
"Their automated production lines are really impressive. Since last year, there's definitely a lot more automated production lines," she added.
Canton Fair drives foreign buyers to visit Guangdong factories
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.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
