Smart living takes center stage at Canton Fair as Chinese home brands unveil tech-driven upgrades

Tech enhanced home products, including stone walls with built-in displays and automated storage systems, are drawing widespread attention at the 138th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, as Chinese manufacturers pivot toward intelligent living solutions.

Among the standout innovations is a wall that looks like ordinary stone at first glance, but it's hiding a high-tech secret. Winner of the fair's design innovation gold award, the wall transforms into a high-definition display when activated via mobile app.

Made from natural porous stone and embedded with inorganic nano-material, its UV-resistant surface offers greater durability than traditional LED screens, according to exhibitor Ma Xinjing.

"We have been participating in the Canton Fair for over ten consecutive years. For us, it serves as an excellent international platform for showcasing our products. The global market's perception of 'Made in China' has now reached a new level, one where Chinese manufacturing not only controls costs effectively but also delivers high-quality products," Ma said.

In the furniture section, a "Ferris wheel" shoe cabinet equipped with an electric lift system also attracted interest. The unit rotates automatically when touched, pausing via infrared sensors when a hand is detected, allowing for easy access to stored items.   Zheng Bikui, another exhibitor at the fair, underscored how smart technology is reshaping the furniture hardware industry.

"In the early days, we mainly sold traditional hardware accessories for furniture. But with the introduction of our integrated smart modules, the share of our products in a full furniture set has increased significantly, from just 2-3 percent in the past to 30-50 percent today," he said.

These innovations reflect the Chinese home furnishing industry's broader upgrade, combining material research and smart technology to demonstrate a clear path toward higher-value manufacturing at the global stage.

Smart living takes center stage at Canton Fair as Chinese home brands unveil tech-driven upgrades

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday night that the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States to end the war could take place within the next few days.

In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, Araghchi said that upon finalized, the MoU will be signed digitally by both sides in their respective countries and then announced. He added that following the potential signing, both parties will commit not to initiate any other war, and will begin the second stage of negotiations, scheduled within a 60-day period, to reach a final agreement, focusing mainly on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions removal.

He stressed that Tehran insists that the only acceptable way of dealing with its highly enriched uranium will be diluting it within Iranian territory.

Araghchi also said that the potential MoU would include provisions for ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, requiring Israel to withdraw from the occupied areas.

Other key issues in the MoU include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the full lifting of the U.S. anti-Iran naval blockade, and the release of Iran's frozen assets, he noted.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi said its management will definitely not to return the pre-war era. While Iran will retain sovereignty and a military presence, a legal system consistent with international law will be established, he said.

He ruled out tolls for passage but noted that charging service fees will be reasonable.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States had "just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," with an agreement expected "over the next few days."

Over recent weeks, Iran and the United States have exchanged several peace proposals through Pakistan's mediation, and have been working to finalize an MoU to end the war.

Iran's FM says signing of MoU with US possible within few days