Message from Secretary General of China Import and Export Fair

China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, was established in the spring of 1957. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of PRC and the People's Government of Guangdong Province and organized by China Foreign Trade Centre, it is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, China. The Canton Fair is a comprehensive international trading event with the longest history, the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the largest buyer attendance, the broadest distribution of buyers' source country and the greatest business turnover in China. Hailed as the barometer of China’s foreign trade, it is the window, epitome and symbol of China's opening up.

As China’s first window of opening up, the Canton Fair has undergone various challenges and never been interrupted since its inception. It has witnessed the glorious progress of China's foreign trade. As a bridge connecting China and the world, Canton Fair is the place where numerous Chinese enterprises go bigger, stronger and global. It is also a platform for win-win cooperation between different countries, where worldwide businessmen connect with China, share opportunities and pursue common development. It has contributed significantly to the economic and trade ties between China and the rest of the world and the development of world trade.

Canton Fair is renowned as “China’s No.1 Fair”. Up to the 131^st session, the accumulated export volume has amounted to about USD 1.5 trillion and the total number of overseas buyers has reached about 9 million. Affected by COVID-19 since 2020, the Canton Fair was held online for five consecutive sessions, one of which adopted an innovative online and onsite merged format. Around 26,000 outstanding domestic and international exhibitors participated, attracting global buyers from 228 countries and regions to attend. The efforts coordinated epidemic prevention and control as well as economic and social development, contributing to the smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains and the domestic and international circulations.

The year of 2021 was of landmark significance and would go down in the history of Canton Fair. On the occasion of the Opening Ceremony of the 130^th Canton Fair in October, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Fair and noted that it made significant contributions over the past 65 years, giving the Fair a new historic mission and pointing a way for the Fair in the new journey ahead. Premier Li Keqiang attended the Opening Ceremony, inspected exhibition halls and made a keynote speech. He pointed out that the Canton Fair would pursue further success towards new heights in reform and opening up, and expand mutual benefit and win-win outcomes for sustainable development.

As China’s premier trade promotion platform, the Canton Fair directly links domestic and international markets and serves as the linchpin of the dual circulation. It enjoys a unique position in building the new development paradigm. Standing at a new historical starting point, Canton Fair will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, implement the spirit of President Xi's congratulatory letter, the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, as well as the requirements of the Ministry of Commerce and Guangdong Province. All-round efforts will be made to innovate mechanism, create more business models and expand the Fair’s role to become a vital platform for China's opening-up on all fronts, the high-quality development of global trade and the dual circulation of domestic and overseas markets, so as to better serve national strategies, all-round opening up, the innovative development of foreign trade, and the building of a new development paradigm. The Canton Fair strives to make new and bigger contribution to the development of an open world economy and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

                                                                     Chu Shijia,

                                                                 Secretary General of China Import and Export Fair