The main aviation hub in Guangzhou, where the 138th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) is underway, set record for daily international arrivals on Tuesday and Wednesday, official data showed Thursday, indicating the increasing global reach of the biannual fair.
The current edition of the Canton Fair is taking place in the capital of south China's Guangdong Province from Oct 15 to Nov 4, with the number of exhibitors exceeding 32,000, a record high.
According to the border inspection station of the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, inbound foreigner trips exceeded 18,000 both on Tuesday and Wednesday, accounting for over 70 percent of all arrivals at the airport, an all-time high.
Data also showed between Oct 10 and Oct 15 daily inbound foreigner trips averaged 15,000 at the Baiyun Airport, an increase of 4.2 percent compared with the period from April 10 to 15 in the lead-up to the 137th edition of the Canton Fair.
Guangzhou airport sees surge in foreign arrivals in lead-up to 138th Canton Fair
Guangzhou airport sees surge in foreign arrivals in lead-up to 138th Canton Fair
Guangzhou airport sees surge in foreign arrivals in lead-up to 138th Canton Fair
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.
"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.
This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.
By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.
The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.
"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.
China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting
