Foreign buyers scout factories during Canton Fair hiatus to unlock cooperation opportunities

Overseas buyers are maximizing their trip to attend the 139th China Import and Export Fair, or Canton Fair, by taking the time to conduct on-site factory tours across south China's Guangdong Province, giving them the chance to make first-hand evaluations of Chinese manufacturing processes and place more orders.

The current edition of Canton Fair is running in Guangzhou from April 15 to May 5 across three phases, highlighting categories ranging from advanced manufacturing to home living and lifestyle products.

Following the conclusion of the first phase on Sunday, the event entered a three-day transition period before the second stage began on Wednesday.

Many overseas merchants took the opportunity to race off to the industrial heartlands across the province, utilizing this window to get a behind-the-scenes look at the production capacity of their potential partners.

Shams Bawany, a UAE-based buyer and director of Milano -- a prominent brand under the Danube Group with expertise in the design, production, and distribution of sanitary ware and faucets -- spent the interval touring Chinese suppliers with his colleagues.

Following an on-site inspection of a manufacturer in Guangdong, Bawany was so impressed by their high-end customized offerings that he immediately signed a new order for three containers on the spot.

"They are very good and their quality [and] their prices are good, so this time we have finalized a good project order," he said.

Spurred on by this success, Bawany said that he has gone on to visit more than a dozen Chinese suppliers in recent days. While he approached a number of long-term partners with ready orders, he also showed strong interest in new suppliers and products discovered during the Canton Fair. Bawany described this "factory scouting" process as busy but rewarding.

"Many factories that I visited, they have big factories, good technology, good infrastructure, good people. They are using AI and other technologies. China is going very fast in AI, so I recommend everybody to visit factories for sure," he said.

Many firms enjoyed fruitful breakthroughs during the fair's first phase, with one Chinese tech enterprise gaining significant traction with its new product lineup, securing approximately 5 million U.S. dollars in intended orders.

The subsequent surge in international visitors heading to check out the firm's facilities in recent days has left the company overwhelmed, with staff working around the clock to keep pace with the influx of curious buyers from around the globe.

One buyer from brazil said these site visits help customers gain a comprehensive understanding of the the way the company operates, instilling them with confidence to further deepen their partnership.

"The factory will show us the production, show us everything that they do, how they do [it] and this is key for us to be able to feel confident about what they do," said the Brazilian buyer.

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 a barometer of China's foreign trade.

Foreign buyers scout factories during Canton Fair hiatus to unlock cooperation opportunities

Japanese citizens took to the streets of Tokyo's Shinjuku district on Saturday, voicing strong opposition to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration for lifting the ban on lethal weapons exports, advancing a "National Intelligence Agency" bill, and pushing for the revision of the country's postwar pacifist constitution.

On Tuesday, the Japanese government, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, officially revised the "three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology" and their implementation guidelines.

The revisions scrap the restrictions that had limited arms exports to five non-combat categories, allow, in principle, the export of lethal weapons, permit transfers to nations engaged in active conflict under specified circumstances, and sideline parliament from the decision-making process, crossing a line that previous governments had at least nominally upheld.

"Allowing the export of lethal weapons and even attempting to possess nuclear arms, the Takaichi administration is leading Japan toward war, despite our postwar commitment of never starting a war again. Many people are worried. This must be stopped," said a protester.

The cornerstone of Japan's pacifist constitution is Article 9, which renounces the nation's right to engage in war or to resort to military force to resolve international conflicts. For decades, this article has been a fundamental constraint on Japan's military endeavors.

"I am firmly opposed to amending the Constitution. Takaichi claims 'the time has come,' but that's just her own decision. Without Article 9 of the Constitution, Japan could be swept into America's wars. That must not happen," said another participant.

"Japan once invaded other Asian countries and has maintained a pacifist constitution ever since. But now the government has arbitrarily decided to lift the ban on exporting lethal weapons without sufficient parliamentary debate. It's unacceptable," said another demonstrator.

"If we abandon our stance as a peaceful nation under the constitution, it would be absolutely intolerable. Thanks to Article 9, Japan hasn't waged war or been pulled into conflict. For Japan's place in the international community, Article 9 must not be changed," said another protester.

Tokyo protesters oppose Takaichi’s lethal weapons export, constitution revision plans

Tokyo protesters oppose Takaichi’s lethal weapons export, constitution revision plans