The 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), officially opens in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province on October 15. Marking its 70th anniversary, this key barometer of China’s foreign trade is growing into a global stage for cutting-edge technologies.

The current session of the Canton Fair has drawn 32,000 exhibitors, including over 11,000 high-quality enterprises such as specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative companies and single-item manufacturing champions, with 64 percent of them adopting new technologies like the industrial internet and artificial intelligence.

Several key “firsts” stand out at this session of the fair: the debut of cutting-edge products across new energy storage, embodied AI and smart healthcare; 22 new smart application scenarios and 16 signature AI applications; venue-wide booth-level navigation and AR information displays; and full coverage of 10 categories of producer services in the trade services zone.

As businesses from across the globe gather to tap into China’s opportunities, these “firsts” show that “Made in China” not only goes beyond high-quality products, but also represents smarter, more efficient and low-carbon operations, signaling the accelerating build-up of new growth drivers for China’s foreign trade.