Ministry of Commerce: The external environment for foreign trade development will be more complex and varied next year

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on September 18, the State Information Office held a press conference to introduce the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair). Yang Tao, director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, pointed out at the press conference that in the first eight months of this year, China's foreign trade continued its good development trend, and the characteristics of new momentum and improved structure of foreign trade were even more obvious. Driven by scientific and technological innovation and industrial upgrading, high-tech and high-value-added products have gradually become the main growth engine of foreign trade. Looking ahead to next year, the external environment for the development of foreign trade will become more complex and varied. A number of international organizations have pointed out that economic and trade barriers have significantly increased global trade costs, the security and stability of global production and supply chains have been affected, and global economic and trade development is facing great uncertainty.

Yang Tao said that in the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, closely follow changes in the foreign trade situation, make good use of various open platforms, including the Canton Fair, guide enterprises to expand diversified markets, actively expand imports of high-quality products, promote balanced import and export development, and make greater contributions to expanding a high level of opening-up to the outside world and promoting the continuous development of the economy in a new and positive direction.

The original text is as follows:

The State Information Office held a press conference to introduce the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair)

Zhou Jianshe, Deputy Director of the Information Bureau and press spokesman of the Information Office of the State Council:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the press conference of the Information Office of the State Council. The 140th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, will soon be held in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Today, we invited Mr. Zhang Li, Assistant Minister of Commerce, to introduce the situation of this year's Canton Fair and answer questions of interest to everyone. Also attending today's press conference were Mr. Yang Tao, Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce; Ms. Zhu Yong, Director of the China Foreign Trade Center; Ms. Guo Yile, Deputy Secretary General of the Guangdong Provincial People's Government; and Mr. Hu Hao, Deputy Mayor of Guangzhou Municipal People's Government.

Now, I would like to ask Mr. Zhang Li for an introduction.

Assistant Minister of Commerce Zhang Li:

Thank you to the host, media friends, and good afternoon! First of all, thank you for your long-term concern and support for business work and the Canton Fair. Now, together with relevant responsible comrades from Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City, and several colleagues, I will introduce you to the 140th Canton Fair and the development of China's foreign trade.

The 140th Canton Fair will be held in three phases from October 15 to November 4 in Guangzhou. This year's Canton Fair will mark the 70th anniversary of its founding. Over the past 70 years, the Canton Fair has gone through ups and downs, crossing the ocean and mulberry fields. From the first 9,600 square meters and 1,200 buyers to now, it has grown to 1.55 million square meters and 310,000 buyers. The entire 140 sessions have not been interrupted. It has become China's largest international trade event with the longest history, the most complete range of products, the largest number of merchants, and the best transactions. It is the world-famous “China First Exhibition”. Since this year, China's foreign trade has continued to grow well. As a “barometer” and “weather vane” for China's foreign trade, the Canton Fair has also shown characteristics such as “new, wise, more specialized and better”:

The first is innovation leadership. In recent years, China's manufacturing industry has continued to transform and upgrade, the foreign trade structure has been continuously optimized, and the technological content of imported and exported products has been steadily improving. From January to August of this year, mechanical and electrical products accounted for 55% of China's imports and exports, an increase of 2.5 percentage points over last year. Electronic components, industrial robots, 3D printers, and new energy vehicles have performed brilliantly, becoming a new driving force for the growth of foreign trade. This year's Canton Fair is in line with new trends in foreign trade. Among the 32,000 exhibitors, there are more than 11,000 high-quality enterprises, such as specialized, innovative, and individual champions. 64% of exhibitors applied new technologies such as the industrial Internet and artificial intelligence. The proportion of new products and green products on display reached 23.2% and 26% respectively, all of which reached record highs.

The second is numerical intelligence empowerment. In recent years, artificial intelligence has accelerated and empowered the entire trade chain. Since this year, the import and export of AI products has maintained a rapid growth trend. AI helps foreign trade enterprises optimize supply chain management, develop new products, improve production quality and efficiency, and help enterprises expand their capabilities, improve efficiency, and greatly enhance their international management capabilities through various aspects such as customer acquisition, backtracking, negotiation, and signing contracts. This year's Canton Fair further raised the level of digitalization and intelligence, deeply embedded artificial intelligence, big data and other technologies into the entire exhibition process, launched 22 smart application scenarios and 16 AI special applications for the first time, and pioneered booth-level navigation and AR information display throughout the domestic exhibition industry, which will enhance the exhibition experience in all aspects.

Third, the investment promotion is more professional and the service is more optimized. Currently, foreign trade enterprises are accelerating their transformation from “taking orders and selling products” to “building systems and providing excellent service”, showing a new trend of integration of goods and services, and integrated development of trade and investment. In line with this trend, this year's Canton Fair achieved full coverage of 10 categories of productive service industries in the trade services exhibition area for the first time, providing one-stop services for enterprises, and 36.5% of exhibitors implemented a “product+service” model transformation. At the same time, regular buyer pre-registration was launched for the first time throughout the year, a buyer labeling system was established for the first time, AI invitation promotion was introduced for the first time, a buyer alliance was established for the first time, and a membership points system was implemented to serve buyers in a more detailed manner. The Canton Fair's circle of friends continues to expand and improve quality, adding 12 new global partners. Up to now, more than 210,000 overseas buyers have completed pre-registration. As the exhibition period approaches, more buyers will check in one after another.

The Party Central Committee and the State Council attached great importance to the Canton Fair. President Xi Jinping sent congratulatory letters to the Canton Fair twice during the 120th and 130th sessions of the Canton Fair. Next, we will continue to thoroughly implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important congratulatory letter and make every effort to make all preparations to ensure the complete success of this year's Canton Fair and better serve the high-quality development of foreign trade and the construction of a strong trade nation. Here, I sincerely invite buyers from all over the world to participate in the exhibition, and I warmly welcome friends from the press to the conference for interviews. We will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Canton Fair with everyone in Guangzhou.

Let me introduce these first, thank you all!

Zhou Jianshe:

Thank you, Mr. Zhang Li, for the introduction. Please raise your hands and ask your news agency before asking questions.

Economic Daily reporter:

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Canton Fair. What kind of development and changes has the Canton Fair experienced in the past 70 years? What kind of role has it played in the development of China's foreign trade? What historical contributions have been made? Thank you.

Tension:

Thank you for your question. Over the past 70 years, as a microcosm of China's foreign trade development, the Canton Fair has always shared the same breath and co-developed with China's foreign trade. It has played three main roles in the process of becoming a strong trade nation:

First, the Canton Fair is an “incubator” for foreign trade enterprises to grow and expand. Since its inception, the Canton Fair has quickly become the main channel for China's foreign trade. From 1965 to 1979, the annual export value of the Canton Fair always accounted for more than 30% of the country's foreign trade exports, and even more than 50% in some years. After the reform and opening up, the number of exhibitors at the Canton Fair grew rapidly. A large number of well-known national brands such as Haier and Midea received overseas orders from the Canton Fair and broke into the international market. Entering a new era, tens of thousands of foreign trade enterprises of different types and systems of ownership are competing in hundreds and thousands of sails at the Canton Fair. With 5% of the country's foreign trade enterprises, exhibitors at the Canton Fair contributed 16% of the country's general trade exports. Today, the small booth we saw at the Canton Fair may grow into a single champion, industry leader, or even a multinational giant in the near future.

Second, the Canton Fair is a “military training ground” for iterative innovation of foreign trade products. With the transformation of China's industrial structure, agricultural and sideline products, handicrafts, and textile and light industry products are successively active on the Canton Fair booth. At the 86th Canton Fair in 1999, mechanical and electrical products became the first category of products in the Canton Fair. At today's Canton Fair, consumer electronics products have become the absolute main force, and technological products such as new energy storage, physical intelligence, and smart medical care are eye-catching. Consumer goods, intermediate goods, and capital goods accounted for 56.6%, 30.7%, and 17.3%, respectively. A large number of cutting-edge products made in China debuted at the Canton Fair. The Canton Fair is more than just a trading platform for signing orders. The world's latest customer needs, consumer preferences, industry trends, product standards, and application scenarios are gathered here. Tens of thousands of high-quality enterprises compete on the same stage to compete for technology, design, and quality, providing the best ecosystem for innovation and iteration of foreign trade products.

Third, the Canton Fair is a bridge link for promoting economic and trade exchanges and expanding foreign cooperation. The Canton Fair is a great initiative for New China to break the blockade and embrace the world. Since its inception, it has greatly promoted economic and trade exchanges and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries through trade methods that combine exhibition and marketing, local inspection, and face-to-face transactions with the original mission of promoting the world. As China continues to advance at a high level of opening-up to the outside world, the Canton Fair's “circle of friends” is also expanding at an accelerated pace. More than 300,000 buyers from more than 220 countries and regions attend the conference as scheduled every spring and autumn. Of the 32,000 exhibitors, nearly 20% have invested abroad, contributing more than 200,000 local jobs. The Canton Fair is increasingly becoming an important platform for countries to jointly build an open world economy.

Looking forward to the future, the Canton Fair will focus on the development goals of “never ending” and “leading the market”. With a more open attitude, more detailed service, more perfect functions, long-term service, and permanent maintenance, the Canton Fair will promote innovation and development around digital intelligence, greening, and specialization to better serve the construction of a strong trade nation.

Thank you!

Guangdong Radio and Television Reporter:

As the world's largest trade event, the successful holding of the Canton Fair is inseparable from the precise and thoughtful service guarantee of the host site. What are the new highlights and breakthroughs in service guarantee in Guangdong at this year's Canton Fair? Thank you.

Guo Yile, Deputy Secretary General of the People's Government of Guangdong Province:

Thank you to this reporter for the question, I'll answer that question.

Currently, Guangdong is earnestly implementing the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important congratulatory letter to the Canton Fair, and is urgently implementing the service guarantee for the 140th Canton Fair as a major political task. On the basis of previous mature service guarantee systems, Guangdong also innovated and launched 29 quality upgrading initiatives this year, making every effort to create a worry-free, heart-warming, and caring exhibition experience with high-quality “Cantonese-style service”. Regarding the 140th Canton Fair, we can say with great confidence that Guangdong has everything ready and only welcomes visitors!

Specifically, in terms of some of the new highlights of this year's service guarantee system, I will mainly introduce four aspects of the situation:

First, improve customs clearance efficiency and smooth the “flow of people and logistics”. We have set up dedicated channels for the Canton Fair at key ports such as Baiyun Airport, implemented 144-hour visa-free transit, and implemented a “dedicated window, ready to go”. In terms of logistics, we rely on the international trade “single window” + customs “smart exhibition” system to promote online processing of the entire process of filing, declaration, and customs clearance reservations, making the circulation of exhibits more efficient.

Second, traffic upgrade to ensure “smooth participation in the exhibition”. We continue to optimize the travel experience around the exhibition hall, focusing on improving traffic capacity on key road sections, dynamically encrypting bus and subway schedules, and flexible scheduling of rental capacity. We have also launched a number of routes, such as the “Autonomous Driving+Exhibition” demonstration line, in-museum loop line, and targeted hotel connection line. Through intelligent guidance, volunteer service, and advance guidance, it is possible for merchants to travel more smoothly and conveniently.

Third, improve service quality and optimize the “payment experience”. We have set up a comprehensive service center for overseas visitors at the airport to provide multilingual services and assist overseas merchants to launch mobile payments around the clock. At key foreign-related places such as ports, hotels, exhibition halls, etc., more than 6,800 comprehensive foreign currency exchange points have been set up to achieve full coverage of outdoor card acceptance by key merchants, create a closed loop of payment and consumption for overseas merchants in all aspects, and truly achieve “zero payment distance”.

Fourth, expand the scenario and expand the “exhibition value”. During the Canton Fair, we will co-host the “Canton Fair Consumer Season” and the “Guangdong Tour for Global Buyers” to closely interact with business travel resources and scenarios such as markets, parks, and factories, and continue to unleash the multiplier effect of the exhibition economy.

The 140th Canton Fair witnessed the history of China's reform and opening up. With the best service, the best environment and the strongest guarantee, Guangdong will welcome guests from all sides, explore new opportunities for trade, and start a new chapter of cooperation together!

Thank you!

People's Daily Overseas Reporter:

We have noticed that the Canton Fair has had quite a few highlights in terms of digital intelligent services in recent years. Many merchants have experienced the convenience of booth-level navigation in the previous edition. What new scenarios and services are there in this year's Canton Fair? Thank you.

Zhu Yong, Director of China Foreign Trade Center:

Thank you for your question. We say that first-class exhibitions require first-class service, and first-class service also requires first-class wisdom. We continue to build smart pavilions and smart Canton Fair to provide exhibitors with a full journey, full chain and full scenario service ecosystem. In the 40-day countdown, we broadcast a short film called “My Smart Canton Fair Journey”. We also welcome everyone to experience it on the Canton Fair video channel.

The conference service for the whole trip focuses on convenience. Before the exhibition, buyers can check products, reserve negotiations, and plan itineraries through the Canton Fair app and website. When he landed in Guangzhou, at 70 certification points such as airports, high-speed rail stations, and hotels, he was able to obtain a license very quickly in 30 seconds with his passport. During the exhibition, by scanning the other party's exhibition card, you can “exchange” electronic business cards in seconds. AI notes can automatically generate a summary of the exhibits he has taken and the voice of the negotiations. After the exhibition, the system automatically files, intelligently screens high-minded customers, and achieves accurate matching. We say this is called building a “never-ending” Canton Fair.

The whole chain of trade services focuses on pragmatism. Assistant Minister Zhang Li said earlier that we have improved the quality of the trade services exhibition area and achieved full coverage of 10 types of productive service industries for the first time, from logistics and warehousing, design and development to comprehensive overseas services, and cross-border investment and financing, to provide one-stop trade services for products, brands, and enterprises to explore the international market. We highlighted new product launches. This year's new product launch event will exceed 700, increase the number of launches by 15%, and set up a new product launch development zone for the first time to help exhibitors win over customers. We have improved communication and matchmaking, and will host 7 high-quality forums on the 4 major themes of “Expanding Markets, Preventing Risks, Research Trends, and Promoting Innovation”. We have also enriched the display content of the Canton Fair Design Innovation Award and built a new trade promotion service model from display to docking.

The full-scene exhibition service focuses on efficiency. This year, we launched 16 digital intelligence systems, increasing the number of smart application scenarios in the exhibition hall to 22. For example, full-scale booth-level navigation, with an accuracy of 1 meter, covered the entire hall for the first time, making over 75,000 booths “under control”. We learned that this is probably the first time in a major domestic exhibition. The smart ordering system links nearly 80% of the restaurant's food service, 9 major cuisines, and more than 300 dishes. You can reserve delivery, and the delicious food is delivered directly. Smart logistics and smart transportation combine services such as logistics, exhibit handling, vehicle entry and exit, and parking. Online reservations can be made with one click, real-time progress tracking, and accurate vehicle scheduling. They can escort two 76-hour exhibitions, and also ensure the efficiency and safety of passenger and cargo traffic.

In short, the Canton Fair is willing to be a global exhibitor not only the warmest partner, but also the smartest partner, so that every time they go there, they can return home with a full load. Thank you!

Daily Economic News Reporter:

The Canton Fair is a “barometer” and “weather vane” for China's foreign trade. How has China's foreign trade performed since this year? What are your views on next year's foreign trade situation? Thank you.

Yang Tao, Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce:

Thank you for your question, I'll answer that. In the first eight months of this year, China's foreign trade continued its good development trend. The scale of imports and exports reached 34.8 trillion yuan, an increase of 17.6%. Among them, exports increased by 14.6%, imports increased by 22%, and the import growth rate was significantly faster than exports. The characteristics of new momentum and structural improvement in foreign trade are even more obvious. Specifically, there are three distinct characteristics.

First, the momentum of new business formats and models continues to be unleashed. Since this year, we have continued to improve the relevant policy system, foreign trade enterprises have continued to explore and innovate, and new business formats and models have shown a good trend of “rapid rise in quantity and quality”. Here are two examples. One is the rapid development of new business formats such as cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouses. In the first half of this year, the scale of cross-border e-commerce imports and exports reached 1.45 trillion yuan, driving employment of more than 10 million people. The penetration rate of cross-border e-commerce and artificial intelligence continued to increase. According to estimates by relevant agencies, the AI application rate of cross-border e-commerce enterprises exceeded 60%. Second, bonded logistics methods are developing rapidly. In the first eight months of this year, the volume of bonded logistics imports and exports was close to 6 trillion yuan, an increase of 42.3%.

Second, the proportion of high-tech and high-value-added products has been steadily increasing. Driven by scientific and technological innovation and industrial upgrading, high-tech and high-value-added products have gradually become the main growth engine of foreign trade. In the first eight months of this year, imports and exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 19.1 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.9%. Among them, in particular, imports and exports of integrated circuits increased by 68.1%, imports and exports of computers and components increased by 60.5%; high-tech products such as industrial robots and 3D printers also achieved relatively rapid growth. “Made in China” provides strong support for the global digital economy and intelligent economy.

Third, green and low carbon has become a clear undertone for the development of China's foreign trade. Currently, the global green transformation process continues to advance, and China's green products meet the development needs of all countries. In the first eight months of this year, imports and exports of products such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics increased by about 40% year-on-year, and orders for products such as wind turbines, green ships, energy saving and environmental protection equipment also grew steadily, meeting the green development needs of relevant countries. For example, we have exported high-quality wind turbines to relevant countries, providing the “China Plan” to ease the local power supply constraints and optimize the energy structure.

Looking ahead to next year, the external environment for the development of foreign trade will become more complex and varied. A number of international organizations have pointed out that economic and trade barriers have significantly increased global trade costs, the security and stability of global production and supply chains have been affected, and global economic and trade development is facing great uncertainty.

In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, closely follow changes in the foreign trade situation, make good use of various open platforms, including the Canton Fair, guide enterprises to expand diversified markets, actively expand imports of high-quality products, promote balanced import and export development, and make greater contributions to expanding a high level of opening-up to the outside world and promoting the continuous development of the economy in a new and better direction. Thank you!

Phoenix TV Reporter:

In recent years, the development achievements of China's foreign trade have attracted worldwide attention. In particular, imports grew rapidly this year, growing faster than exports. Excuse me, how does the Ministry of Commerce view the role of China's foreign trade in global economic growth? Thank you.

Tension:

Thank you for your question. Currently, world economic growth is weak, and global trade is facing many challenges. Faced with the adverse effects brought about by changes in the external environment, China's foreign trade has risen to the challenge, stabilized and improved, and continued to inject certainty into global economic growth and the stability of the production and supply chain.

The first is to provide an important engine for global economic growth. As the largest country in global trade in goods, China continues to provide a driving force for global trade growth. According to estimates of global trade data for the first quarter released by the WTO in July, China led global trade growth by 2.1 percentage points, with a contribution rate of 20.3%. China's foreign trade is not only the key to achieving its own economic development, but has also become a powerful engine for global economic and trade growth.

Second, it strongly supports the stable operation of global production and supply chains. The more the global production and supply chain is under pressure and turmoil, the more prominent is China's role as a “stabilizer” of foreign trade. On the one hand, China has a complete range of products, stable delivery, high quality and price. Exports of household appliances, consumer goods, medical supplies and other products cover more than 200 countries and regions around the world, enriching global supply and relieving global inflationary pressure. On the other hand, with its complete industrial system and industrial support, China provides countries, especially developing countries, with manufactured goods such as production equipment, providing important support for these countries to develop the real economy, raise the level of industrialization, and integrate into the global production supply chain.

Third, the dividends of the hyperscale market benefit the world. In recent years, we have insisted on “policy+activity” to expand imports of two-wheel drives, and China is more attractive and rich as a “world market”. We have held eight consecutive import fairs and launched the “Share Big Market · Export to China” series of activities. We have continued to step up our efforts to “buy globally”, broadening channels and building a platform for high-quality global products to enter the Chinese market. From January to August this year, China's imports increased by 22%, the fastest since 2021. It is expected that the annual import value will reach a new high. More and more high-quality products from around the world are entering the Chinese consumer market and integrated into China's production and supply chain system, bringing more orders to enterprises in various countries, promoting the development of related industries, and increasing local employment.

Fourth, accelerate the global green digital transformation. China is enriching global supply with high-quality green and smart products, helping the world accelerate the process of green, low-carbon and digital intelligence empowerment. In the past 10 years, China has provided the world with more than 80% of photovoltaic modules and 70% of wind power equipment, effectively driving the reduction of global wind photovoltaic power generation costs, and the green undertone of Chinese manufacturing continues to shine. The rapid development of artificial intelligence-related industries has led to rapid growth in the import and export of AI products, benefiting countries around the world. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that many of China's innovations follow the open source route. For example, China's artificial intelligence model has been downloaded more than 10 billion times worldwide, making it possible for more countries, especially developing countries, to use new technology and enhance development capabilities.

Overall, China is both a “world factory” and a “world market.” The high-quality development of China's foreign trade and the expansion and upgrading of China's hyperscale market have brought new development opportunities and more room for development to countries around the world. In the next step, we will continue to unswervingly expand a high level of opening-up to the outside world, set up open platforms such as the Canton Fair, accelerate the construction of a strong trade nation, share development dividends with countries around the world, and make new contributions to global economic growth.

Thank you!

Nanfang Daily Nanfang+ Reporter:

Since the 133rd Canton Fair, overseas buyers have repeatedly reached new highs, and the 139th edition has surpassed 310,000. Can you introduce some of the new investment promotion initiatives of this year's Canton Fair? What is the expected buyers' attendance situation? Thank you.

Zhu Yong:

Thanks for the question. Professional buyers and high-quality exhibitors are valuable resources that have endured over the past 70 years of the Canton Fair. Since this year, we have deepened the “big investment” reform and made every effort to build a new “big investment” ecosystem. We did three more things this year.

The first thing is accurate investment promotion. Six major channels, including overseas roadshows, partners, and digital marketing, work together. In terms of overseas road shows, for the first time, we went from bilateral to multilateral, and went to the headquarters of the African Union to connect and cooperate with the WTO and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. For the first time, we set up a robot and AI experience zone during the roadshow, so that international buyers can touch the innovative pulse of Made in China in advance. The international investment cooperation network was expanded, and 12 new global partners were signed, bringing the total number to 240. We have strengthened targeted invitations, and 170 leading procurement companies and 48 global partners have confirmed their participation in the conference.

The second thing is service differentiation. We established a buyer alliance for the first time, implemented a membership points system for the first time, and launched exclusive hierarchical services. In terms of trade promotion, channels are more diverse. As of yesterday, the “Bridge of Trade - China Industrial Tour” has entered 11 cities, accurately connecting international buyers from 32 countries and regions with nearly 600 foreign trade enterprises. In the last edition, the Middle East special live broadcast was watched by over 3 million people. This time, we have upgraded and launched a new model of “Exhibition+Overseas Live Streaming”. At the same time, more than 10 events such as the Asia Pacific Special Session will also be held on site, such as supply and procurement matchmaking, national theme days, and partner carnivals. In terms of the experience of attending the conference, the “Come to the Canton Fair and Visit Guangzhou City” cultural tourism check in was upgraded. At the same time, the “Come to the Canton Fair, 'see Guangzhou' more '” international medical experience was launched, and a symposium for buyers was held.

The third thing is the digitalization of operations. For the first time, regular pre-registration was implemented throughout the year, and the “phased invitation” was changed to “online throughout the year”. The results are currently very good. We have established a buyer labeling system with 5 dimensions and 73 labels, AI stereoscopic images, accurate information delivery, and efficient matching requirements. At present, more than 210,000 buyers from 196 countries and regions have pre-registered, with professional buyers accounting for nearly 80%. Buyers from the “Belt and Road” countries are actively signing up.

After 70 years of passing on the torch, the Canton Fair has always maintained its original intention of serving with innovation. From the temperature of Chinese technology shown by the previous exoskeleton robot to help buyers get back on their feet, to the recent true resonance of global merchants singing the “Starlight” song, we have always written Canton Exchange stories with exhibitors to jointly maintain the multilateral trading system and promote the construction of an open world economy.

Thank you all!

Zhou Jianshe:

Please keep asking questions, there are two more reporters.

Yangcheng Evening News reporter:

The Canton Fair is held in Guangzhou every spring and autumn, and has gone through 70 years of development. What new initiatives are there in Guangzhou so that global merchants can better experience the integrated development of the Canton Fair and the city of Guangzhou? How will Guangzhou effectively transform exhibition traffic into city attractiveness and industrial growth? Thank you.

Hu Hao, Deputy Mayor of Guangzhou Municipal People's Government:

Thank you for your question. On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Canton Fair, Guangzhou has resolutely implemented the work arrangements of the State, the Ministry of Commerce, and Guangdong Province, and used the city's efforts to guarantee services. From the three dimensions of history, present, and future, we will show global merchants the unique charm of the same resonance, co-prosperity and symbiosis between Guangzhou and the Canton Fair.

Looking back on history and tracing back to the original intention, Guangzhou has witnessed the path of symbiosis in the exhibition city. After 70 years of passing on the torch, the Canton Fair has long been integrated into Guangzhou's urban bloodline. To pay tribute to the anniversary of the event, Guangzhou carefully created a series of themed commemorative events, holding a Canton Fair themed photo exhibition at the Pazhou subway station close to the exhibition hall, launching a special exhibition on the history of “A Thousand Years of the City” at the Guangzhou Art Museum, and simultaneously hosting the “My Story with the Canton Fair” theme sharing event online and offline, to vividly present the rich heritage and glory of the exhibition city's symbiosis.

Focus on the present, focus on service, and create a caring conference experience in Guangzhou. The whole city opened the “Canton Fair Hour” to upgrade service guarantees in all aspects. A number of airlines have launched exclusive offers. The airport and Pazhou port have set up exclusive channels, set special schedules for buses and subways, and dispatch more than 2,000 taxis and online car-hailing every day, making it easier for merchants to travel. A 20 million yuan food and beverage voucher was launched, and events such as Fine Food Week and Yangcheng Dim Sum Season were held at the same time, so that merchants could experience the endless charm of “Dining in Guangzhou”. Customize a free one-day tour service exclusive to overseas buyers, build a “Canton Fair” cruise, enjoy the dazzling night view of the Pearl River, and let merchants enjoy the different style of Yangcheng. The international shopping festival “Fair 2 City” (visit the Canton Fair, Guangzhou City) covers the entire city. More than 16,000 merchants support wild card payments, and more than 1,750 stores can enjoy departure tax refund services, making customers feel comfortable and worry-free.

Looking forward to the future, empowering upgrades, Guangzhou will activate the new momentum of “Canton Fair +”. Based on a new starting point in 70 years, we will continue to expand the radiation-driven benefits of the exhibition. In terms of trade matchmaking, more than 100 economic and trade events will be held, such as the Fashion Industry Conference and the “Guangzhou Premium Guangzhou Trade Global” matchmaking conference, to invite merchants to enter more than 100 key professional markets throughout the city and deepen the accurate connection between supply and demand. In terms of investment cooperation, relying on the Guangzhou International Investment Conference, we are actively opening up key industrial parks such as intelligent connected new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine to help Chinese and foreign merchants explore new opportunities for industrial cooperation. In terms of visiting the city, we have carefully planned three themed tour routes: “Fashionable Guangzhou,” “Vibrant Guangzhou,” and “Fireworks Guangzhou,” so that visitors can immerse themselves in the unique charm and fresh style of the commercial capital for thousands of years during the exhibition.

Over the past 70 years, Guangzhou and the Canton Fair have always gone both ways and worked together for a win-win situation. We sincerely look forward to new and old friends coming together in Yangcheng to participate in the event and write wonderful stories for the next 70 years.

Thank you!

Zhou Jianshe:

One last question.

Shenzhen TV News Reporter:

The 140th Canton Fair coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Canton Fair. Global merchants gathered in Guangzhou. How will Guangdong amplify the spillover effects of the Canton Fair and empower the province's foreign trade and economic development? Thank you.

Guo Yile:

Thank you for your question. The question you just asked just happened to be an important job that Guangdong has been trying to solve and answer questions over the years. Before I answer this question, I'll tell you a set of numbers. From January to August of this year, Guangdong's foreign trade import and export volume reached 7.54 trillion yuan, an increase of 21.7%, accounting for 21.7% of the country's foreign trade share. Among them, in June, July, and August, the foreign trade import and export volume all exceeded 1 trillion yuan for 3 consecutive months. The achievement of these results can be said to be inseparable from the customer order resources accumulated during previous Canton Fairs. The Canton Fair and Guangdong's foreign trade development have always been mutually successful and progressed together. Next, in order to further expand the exhibition effect of the Canton Fair, we are currently focusing on four areas of work:

The first is to focus on in-market transactions to enhance market competitiveness. At this year's Canton Fair, we optimized the structure of exhibitors, specializing in new “little giants”, individual champions in the manufacturing industry, and high-tech enterprises, accounting for more than half of the number of enterprises. At the same time, based on Guangdong's strong manufacturing capacity and industrial characteristics, we are also launching regional brands such as Shenzhen Consumer Electronics, Guangzhou Commerce, Foshan Home Appliance, Dongguan Intelligent Manufacturing, Yangjiang Hardware, Chaozhou Ceramics, etc., and holding special trade meetings for key regional markets such as the Asia-Pacific region, making every effort to promote transactions and increase effectiveness.

The second is to deeply cultivate off-site connections and broaden the scope of industrial cooperation. We use the “Global Buyers Tour to Guangdong” as a starting point to open up linkage channels within and outside the exhibition. Precisely invite buyers from key regions around the world, go deep into professional markets, industrial parks, manufacturing plants, etc. in Guangdong, promote face-to-face negotiations and peer-to-peer connections between buyers and industry alliances, efficiently turn inquiries into landing orders, and turn exhibitor traffic into incremental trade.

The third is to cultivate customer resources and cultivate a long-term stable cooperative ecosystem. The Canton Fair brought together leading global buyers and the world's top 500 companies. At the same time, many merchants from emerging markets came to the fair. We targeted interested customers and carried out regular city promotion, special visits, and industry connections, so that buyers changed from “one-way procurement” to “two-way investment”, and upgraded from short-term commercial transactions to long-term in-depth cooperation. Through a full cycle tracking service, new customers become old customers and customers become partners.

Fourth, optimize the full service process and activate the vitality of global consumer cultural tourism. We have integrated high-quality business travel, culture, and sports resources from all over the province, and launched exclusive preferential policies and a number of boutique tourist routes for Canton Fair merchants to comprehensively enrich the “food, lodging, travel, shopping and entertainment” experience for merchants. Just now, Vice Mayor Hu Hao of Guangzhou also introduced these contents. We use exhibitions to gather popularity, and use popularity to bring consumption, so that one exhibition brings all industries and one session shines all over the city. Here, I would like to warmly remind the visitors who will be attending the 140th Canton Fair. Everyone might as well set aside enough time to walk and see more, and bring home the good goods, sights, and flavors of Guangdong.

In the next step, Guangdong will continue to do a good job of tracking and implementing the results of the exhibition, transforming and increasing efficiency, maximizing the advantages of the Canton Fair platform, and promoting mutual empowerment and mutual prosperity between the Canton Fair and Guangdong. Thank you all!

Zhou Jianshe:

That's all for today's press conference. Thank you to all the publishers, and thank you to all the reporters and friends. Bye everyone!

This article was selected from “Guoxin.com”, Zhitong Finance Editor: Xu Wenqiang.