Smart products steal limelight at Canton Fair

Advanced manufacturing and a wave of smart exhibits are dominating the limelight, as the 139th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, opened its first phase in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of south China's Guangdong, on Wednesday.

This edition of the biannual Canton Fair goes beyond traditional categories such as electronics and home appliances, and adds four new sections dedicated to consumer drones, smart wearables, display technologies and agricultural drones.

Emergency-use lighting drones and autonomous cleaning drones have drawn strong interest from buyers and media, while the smart wearables zone has featured products ranging from smart rings to multifunctional AI goggles.

Leading firms in sections of display technology and agricultural drones are also demonstrating how smart solutions are reshaping people's everyday life and modern farming.

More than 11,000 enterprises, rated as "champions of specialized and sophisticated technology applications for producing novel and unique products," are taking part in this edition of the Canton Fair, with over half of them registered for the first phase.

Exhibitors are also adopting creative ways to engage buyers, from drone delivery of coffee and other drinks to roaming of robots on aisles for direct interaction, which underscores how AI and smart technology are finding practical applications in business.

Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. 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 first phase of the 139th edition of the Canton Fair is scheduled to run from April 15 to 19.

Smart products steal limelight at Canton Fair

A Russian navy fleet consisting of Navy corvettes Sovershennyy and Rezkiy, and the medium-sized oil tanker Pechenga arrived in Zhanjiang City of south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday for a goodwill visit.

The Russian fleet, flying the flags of both Russia and China, docked on Wednesday morning at a military port in Zhanjiang, where the Chinese side held a welcome ceremony.

During the visit, Chinese and Russian officers and soldiers will tour each other's ships, attend receptions, participate in professional exchanges, and compete in sporting events.

The visiting vessels belong to the Russian Pacific Fleet and had all previously participated in cooperation and exchange activities between the two Navies.

The Chinese vessel participated in the exchange, Chenzhou, is a home-grown guided-missile frigate, with strong early warning and detection capabilities as well as comprehensive combat capabilities in multiple aspects, including shore bombardment, anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare. Since its commissioning, it has participated in and successfully completed a number of major drills and military exercises.

"I hope that in the following days of the event, we can deepen friendship and engage in professional and technical discussions with our Russian counterparts, and showcase the excellent image of the Chinese Navy," said Zhang Wenxuan, a Chinese Navy sub-lieutenant on Frigate Chenzhou.

The visit is part of routine goodwill exchanges between the two Navies, aimed at further enhancing mutual trust and practical cooperation, which is neither targeted at any third party nor linked to the current international and regional situation.

Russian Navy fleet visits south China's port city