Innovative health, fitness products captivate global buyers at Canton Fair

Innovative health and fitness offerings, from advanced sporting equipment to diverse food options, are captivating Chinese and international buyers at the 137th China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair.

Since June last year, China's National Health Commission has spearheaded a three-year weight management campaign, sparking nationwide health awareness and paving the way for growth in related industries.

At the Canton Fair, exhibitors showcased a smart boxing glove equipped with a cutting-edge chip preloaded with professional athletes' action data. This innovation analyzes users' punches to create detailed line graphs and 3D visuals, with potential future applications in sports like skipping, running, and swimming.

"The main purpose of our participation in the Canton Fair is to meet more customers who can give us opinions and suggestions. We hope to integrate more AI and new technology elements into such a traditional product to help the national health movement," said exhibitor Jin Wenjie.

In addition to sporting goods, exhibitors at the fair showcased an array of healthy food options, including low-calorie konjac products and dried fruits free from added sucrose. They also emphasized offering tailored services and products to cater to buyers from across the globe.

"People from Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, the United States and other countries in Europe have shown great intentions to buy our products," said exhibitor Yao Yadi.

"We are in a very busy world, busy society, so it's a little bit harder to find healthy food. So a lot of the manufacturers and companies that are here today are making it easier to grab good things on the go, which is great for business, it's great for people. I think it's great for everybody involved," said a merchant from the United States.

Innovative health, fitness products captivate global buyers at Canton Fair

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight