The 138th Canton Fair in south China's Guangzhou is drawing record crowds and a new generation of traders, as post-2000 (Gen-Z) traders bring fresh technologies and global fluency to China’s export scene.
For nearly 70 years, the Canton Fair has been China's biggest trade event. Now, it's getting younger. A new generation born after 2000 is bringing fresh ideas, digital skills, and a whole new language of trade. Among them is 25-year-old Dorothy Zou.
"First, you have to know basic foreign trade terms -- like telegraphic transfer or letters of credit. It also helps to understand your client's customs and taboos -- that builds trust. The key is sincerity. Don't sound too formal - show your personality beyond just business talk," she said.
Despite exports to the U.S. dropping 16 percent in the first nine months of this year, China's overall exports continued to grow, led by machinery, electronics, and new energy products. That means new opportunities for 22-year-old Trent Wu, one of the youngest recruits at this power generator manufacturing company.
"Before I graduated, I sent out CVs like crazy - more than 200 a day for a whole week - that's how I landed this job. Now I use Facebook, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp to connect with clients. For our generation in foreign trade, the biggest change is that we've got so many more tools to work with," said Trent Wu, a sales representative at AGG Power Technology (Fuzhou) Co.
This year, buyers from Belt and Road Initiative countries make up over 60 percent of those attending the Canton Fair, while interest from Europe and the U.S. is bouncing back.
Officials say China's export resilience comes from its complete industrial chain, innovation, and flexibility -- with more firms tailoring products to global demand.
The creativity of young people is reshaping China's export story. It's no longer just about making things -- but making them smarter. High-tech products now drive over 30 percent of export growth.
"We need a lot of robots for restoration. Because in France, it is complicated to find good people for that now. It is really interesting that the guys are really young because for a long time the [future will be] really good. We need the young people to make the future so yeah yeah yeah," said Julien Sampre, a buyer from France.
More entrepreneurs today are embracing new tech -- and are open to working with younger brands. 22-year-old Antonios Xenos is looking for robots to modernize his family business.
"My parents' generation didn't have the Internet, so they were only working with what they knew or what they saw in an expo. But the expo back then wasn't really the same. Now you can see a lot of different things, you can see the future and it's more easy to contact and ship things back to Europe," said this Greek entrepreneur.
China continues to be a key stabilizer in global supply chains. And with a generation of tech-savvy traders growing in prominence, the future of Made in China is clearly in young hands.
Canton Fair sees record crowds as Gen Z entrepreneurs reshape China’s trade
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
