Foreign buyers are seen during the 136th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, Oct 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

GUANGZHOU -- The 136th China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, kicked off in Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong province, on Tuesday. 

Themed "Serving high-quality development, promoting high-level opening-up," this edition of the fair features more than 30,000 exhibitors showcasing 1.15 million new products.

Many new companies, products, technologies and business models are making their debut, attracting 147,000 overseas buyers who have pre-registered for the fair.

The new-energy vehicles (NEVs) section was a popular spot among international buyers. Sinotruk, a major player in the traditional vehicle industry, has forged into the NEV sector over the past two years. A Sinotruk electric truck displayed at the company's booth attracted the attention of many potential buyers from Russia, Armenia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries and regions.

Although the NEVs in Southeast Asia and Africa markets are still in their early stages and not as mature as in Europe, the company is optimistic about the prospects of NEVs in these regions, according to a staffer with Sinotruk.

Dario Damico, a buyer from Argentina, was drawn to a compact new-energy passenger vehicle at the booth of Dayun Automobile Co Ltd. He bent down to feel the wheel hub, leaned in to examine the seats, and had an engaging conversation with the booth staff. Before leaving, he made sure to grab a stack of brochures.

"There aren't many Chinese-made NEVs on the Argentinian market yet. This car is reasonably priced and compact, so I believe it could fill a gap in Argentina's electric vehicle market," Damico said, adding that he looks forward to bringing this model to Argentina within the next few months.

According to Chu Shijia, head of the China Foreign Trade Center, over 8,000 exhibitors have been recognized as national high-tech enterprises, "little giants" specializing in niche industries, or manufacturing champions, representing a more than 40 percent increase from the previous edition of the Canton Fair.

Around 390,000 digital and smart products will be showcased, a 300 percent surge compared to the 135th Canton Fair, while the number of green and low-carbon products will rise by 130 percent to 1.04 million.

In the eyes of Zhou Yuanqing, marketing director of kitchen and cleaning appliances specialist Topim Intelligent Manufacturing (Shaoyang) Co Ltd, the Canton Fair is an excellent platform for connecting with international buyers.

"Compared to other home appliance exhibitions, the Canton Fair attracts more buyers from a broader range of regions, helping us expand our business into more markets," said Zhou.

Established just five years ago, Topim has already exported its products to over 30 countries and regions, with annual sales exceeding 500 million yuan ($70.29 million), thanks to its efforts to enhance manufacturing capabilities, and strict quality control.

According to Zhou, Topim's factory spans around 300,000 square meters, yet it has only about 1,000 employees, including the design and R&D team, as many production processes are fully automated.

A survey conducted by the organizers ahead of the fair indicated that 94 percent of exhibitors would bring in new products, and 64.8 percent would showcase products with independent intellectual property rights. More than 1 million new items and products with intellectual property rights are on display, alongside a range of humanoid robots, smart devices and unmanned products making their debut at the fair.

The online platform for the 136th Canton Fair has been further optimized, featuring a virtual digital host and a dedicated Canton Fair app.

The scale of the online exhibition has expanded significantly, with around 48,000 companies uploading approximately 3.75 million products to the platform, an increase of 60 percent and 50 percent, respectively, compared to the previous fair, both of which are historic highs.

As of Monday, buyers from 209 countries and regions had pre-registered for the event. Additionally, 241 of the world's top 250 retailers and leading multinational corporations are participating in the fair.

"Based on indicators such as pre-registrations, hotel bookings and flight reservations, improved attendance of overseas buyers at the 136th Canton Fair is expected," Chu said.

The fair highlights the high-quality development of Chinese products and brands, and China is confident in its ability to offer more and better products -- both "made in China" and "created in China" -- to the world, Chu noted.

The fair will be held in three phases between Oct 15 and Nov 4 and is set to include 55 exhibition areas covering 1.55 million square meters. The first phase, running from Oct 15 to 19, will introduce new topics such as hydrogen energy and feature a dedicated area for energy storage products, attracting over 110 new-energy companies.

Launched in 1957 and held twice yearly, the Canton Fair is considered a major gauge of China's foreign trade.