Innovative products help Chinese exhibitors uncover fresh opportunities at Canton Fair

Innovative products and cutting-edge technologies have helped Chinese exhibitors discover fresh overseas business development opportunities at the 138th Canton Fair, even amid mounting global trade headwinds.

During the first phase of the 138th Canton Fair, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair, which ran from Wednesday to Sunday in south China's Guangzhou City, American buyer Faris returned to the motorcycle exhibition zone to reconnect with a familiar partner: a sports technology company based in east China's affluent Zhejiang Province.

At the fair, the two met once again to discuss expanding their business operation in the U.S. market.

"The quality of this product, the design of this product, and how it will be successful in the United States, this is actually the main point that I'm coming over here right now," said Faris.

Having sourced motorcycles from the Chinese firm for 15 years and grown into one of America's top distributors, Faris now faces a challenging trade landscape: the U.S. threatens to impose an additional 100-percent tariff on Chinese goods next month, on top of the existing 30-percent tariff.

"The effect of it is already there, because a lot of people already stopped their shipment," said Faris.

During their talks, Faris requested a price reduction. However, the Chinese company offered a different solution.

"Where we can't meet your price expectations, we can compensate through quality and design improvement," said Pang Changyuan, senior executive at the Zhejiang firm.

The company introduced to Faris a new product in development -- an electric motorcycle powered by a globally leading axial motor. The new model is 20 percent lighter than conventional fuel-powered motorcycles and delivers significantly enhanced performance.

"People are willing to pay a little bit more for quality and for design. They may go and try to find another supplier somewhere else. I would rather just to sit with those factories and try to work something together with them, so we can survive both," said Faris.

To seal the partnership, the Chinese company proposed developing products tailored specifically to U.S. consumer preferences, with a rapid six-month timeline to launch. The two sides quickly reached an agreement, signing a 10 million-U.S.-dollar order on the spot.

"As the business environment changes, we need to respond in various ways. We call every year a 'year of survival', but in the end, we always deliver great results. So, I'm still quite confident," said Ying Er, chairwoman of the company.

Like this Zhejiang firm, many other Chinese exporters are swiftly adjusting strategies by accelerating technological upgrades and launching new products to retain long-standing clients and tap into new markets. This agile, innovation-driven approach has become one of the defining highlights of the 138th Canton Fair.

Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China, and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.

The second phase of the 138th Canton Fair is scheduled to run from Oct. 23 to 27, followed by the third phase from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4.

Innovative products help Chinese exhibitors uncover fresh opportunities at Canton Fair

The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.

The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.

When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.

Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.

"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.

Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.

During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.

"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.

"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.

After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.

The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.

Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident