Cutting-edge technologies and AI applications will be put in the spotlight at the 140th Canton Fair, which is set to open in a month, said a government official on Friday.
At a press conference in Beijing, Zhang Li, assistant minister of Commerce, said cutting-edge technology firms feature prominently among the exhibitors of the Canton Fair, also known as the China Import and Export Fair.
"This edition of the Canton Fair is aligned with the new trends in foreign trade. Of the 32,000 participating companies, more than 11,000 are high-quality enterprises, including those specialized, sophisticated, distinctive, and innovative firms, as well as bellwethers in certain products. Sixty-four percent of exhibitors will adopt new technologies such as industrial internet and AI. New products and green products are expected to account for 23.2 percent and 26 percent of the exhibits, respectively, both reaching record highs," said Zhang.
He said AI-powered services will be provided at the upcoming edition to deliver a standout experience for participants.
"This year's Canton Fair will further enhance its digitalization and intelligent capabilities by deeply integrating AI and big data technologies throughout the entire exhibition process. It is also the first time that the event will introduce 22 smart application scenarios and 16 AI-enabled applications, becoming the first exhibition in China to provide booth-level navigation and AR information displays. These innovations will significantly enhance the experience of exhibitors and visitors," said the official.
In addition, the Canton Fair's network of partners continues to expand and improve, with 12 new global partners being newly added. To date, more than 200,000 overseas buyers have completed preregistration, Zhang said.
This year's session will run from Oct 15 to Nov 4 in three phrases.
140th Canton Fair to open on Oct 15, highlighting advanced technologies, AI applications: official
The Pinglu Canal is expected to unlock new opportunities for deeper economic cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo, which opened Thursday in south China's Nanning, Kao stressed the strategic role of the new waterway in boosting regional trade.
In an interview with China Global Television (CGTN), Kao said that the newly opened canal provides China's landlocked southwest with a crucial direct gateway to maritime routes, paving the way for faster trade with its top commercial partner.
Built at a cost of 72.7 billion yuan (about 10.84 billion U.S. dollars), the 134.2-kilometer canal runs from Nanning to the Beibu Gulf, the closest maritime outlet for much of southwest China.
The canal stretches along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a strategic trade route connecting China's inland regions with ASEAN and other global markets. It is the first river-to-sea canal project planned and coordinated at the national level since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
"This is a canal of a significant historical dimension, meaning that it would not only benefit China alone. There are provinces in China that can use the canal do a lot of transportation, particularly water transportation to lower the cost. But for us, because we do a lot of trade between the two sides, meaning that we have to use port to port. There are a lot of ports in China, and there are a lot of ports in ASEAN. And as in China, our relationship, we are neighbors as defined by the geography. And this canal open new opportunities for both sides. I hope that provinces in China will take advantage of this great opportunity to deepen our economic cooperation," said Kao Kim Hourn.
China's trade with ASEAN exceeded 1 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time last year. In the first seven months of 2026, total trade between the two sides reached 744.41 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 24.7 percent year on year, accounting for 21.8 percent of China's total foreign trade during this period.
Pinglu Canal to deepen China-ASEAN economic cooperation: secretary-general
