The 27th China International Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) opened on Friday in Shenzhen, a major tech hub in south China's Guangdong Province, bringing together over 5,000 exhibitors from around the world to showcase more than 5,000 new products and solutions.
The three-day event features 22 specialized exhibition zones, covering areas including artificial intelligence and robotics, semiconductors and integrated circuits, consumer electronics, and the low-altitude economy and commercial aerospace. Organizers expect the fair to attract over 450,000 professional visitors.
More than 5,000 leading enterprises and international organizations from over 100 countries and regions are participating. Over 5,000 cutting-edge products and technological achievements will be unveiled during the event, with more than 100 debut showcases scheduled to demonstrate the role of sci-tech innovation in driving the development of new quality productive forces.
Attending on opening day, Zhang Lin, Director of the Shenzhen Municipal Science, Technology and Innovation Bureau, emphasized the city's approach to promoting industrial and innovation synergy.
"We are aligning industrial chains with innovation priorities and fostering innovation around industrial needs. To that end, we have invited leading enterprises in key industrial chains to exhibit together with their suppliers, especially those specializing in advanced technologies. By clustering the entire industry chain, we have significantly reduced transaction costs and greatly improved efficiency," said Zhang.
In addition to the exhibition, more than 200 activities, including professional forums, roadshow presentations, and procurement matchmaking sessions will be held, providing a vital platform for international technological exchange and cooperation.
27th China Hi-Tech Fair opens in Shenzhen, featuring over 5,000 frontier innovations
The torch relay for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games began on Saturday morning in Rome, marking the start of a two-month journey ahead of next year's opening ceremony.
The launch ceremony was held at the Stadio dei Marmi, an open-air arena lined with Roman-style statues next to Rome's Olympic Stadium.
At around 09:50, Giancarlo Peris, the final torchbearer of the 1960 Rome Games, brought the flame onto the launch stage. A torch was lit with the flame, and Giovanni Malago, president of the Milan-Cortina 2026 organizing committee, lit the cauldron with it.
The first torchbearer, Italy's Olympic champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, lit the relay torch from the cauldron and then ran a half-lap around the stadium to cheers from spectators, officially starting the relay.
Italian fencer Elisa Di Francisca and high jump Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi followed as the second and third torchbearers and completed their relay segments inside the stadium. Tamberi performed a torch kiss with the next runner, Achille Polonara, who carried the flame out of the stadium to begin the route through the city.
The relay will traverse 12,000 kilometers over 60 days across Italy, pass through more than 300 municipalities and feature celebrations in 60 cities, reach all 110 Italian provinces, and light up UNESCO sites along the route.
More than 10,000 torchbearers from all walks of life will take part in the relay, including figures from sectors of sports, culture, film and civil society.
The flame will see Christmas in Naples, New Year in Bari, and return to Cortina d'Ampezzo on January 26, 2026, the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games opening ceremony. The relay will conclude on February 6 at Milan's San Siro Stadium.
Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games' organizing committee, said the torch relay will strengthen the spirit of peace and hope for humanity.
"Our torch will pass through all cultural heritage sites. So along the way, we'll see both our nation's historical landmarks as well as natural landscapes. But what matters most are the people who embrace the torch as a symbol of peace and hope. Athletes and ordinary citizens carrying the Winter Olympics torch will carry the spirit all the way to Milan," he said.
Torch relay for Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games starts in Rome
Torch relay for Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games starts in Rome
