As the 140th Canton Fair gets underway with more than 30,000 exhibiting companies and an expected 340,000 overseas buyers, a growing number of international buyers are demonstrating their enduring preference and trust in the fair.
Marking its 70th anniversary, this year's import and export exhibition, also known as the Canton Fair, serves as a barometer and wind vane of China's foreign trade, featuring innovation, intelligence, greater specialization and higher quality.
Over the past 37 years, German buyer Klim has participated in more than 50 sessions of the Canton Fair and witnessed its changes. He has turned from a trader into an investor, as he has set up his own business in China.
"We have one company in Wuxi, which belonged to us by 100 percent. It's also workable," said Klim.
At the booth of a machine tool enterprise, Indian purchaser Manish negotiated with his Chinese cooperative partner. The two sides have been cooperating for about 10 years. In the past, he only purchased individual pieces of equipment. But now, the enterprise can help him customize an entire automated production line.
"We are here to get the automation line from Kingland," said Manish.
The Canton Fair is one of the world's few one-stop trade platforms offering a complete range of products with convenience and efficiency, while bringing together the latest products and technologies.
"In the beginning we came here with the idea we want to buy one product for the UPS, for the data center. But now I'm happy to find that here at the east area of products, we can find a full solution for the AI data center," said Razvan, a Romanian purchaser.
"The reason why the Canton Fair has always been attractive is that it resonates with China's manufacturing industry and upgrades in step with global market demands. China's complete industrial system, continuously enhanced innovation capabilities, and constant product iterations towards intelligence and greenness have enabled an increasing number of Chinese and foreign enterprises to move from simple trade exchanges to joint research and development, investment cooperation, and in-depth collaboration in the industrial chain and supply chain," said Liu Chun, president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME).
"It also enables Chinese and foreign enterprises to share opportunities in a broader range of fields," she added.
The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases in Guangzhou from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4.
Over the past 70 years, the Canton Fair has grown into China's largest and longest-running international trade event, with the most complete product range, the largest number of buyers and the highest transaction volume.
Foreign buyers show enduring confidence in China's Canton Fair over seven decades
