140th Canton Fair Highlights China's Shift to AI and Design
China opened the 140th Canton Fair in Guangzhou, showcasing a strategic transition toward artificial intelligence, green technology, and high-end industrial design.
The 140th China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, opened on October 15, 2026, in Guangzhou, marking the event's 70th anniversary. Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter emphasizing China's commitment to safeguarding the multilateral trading system and ensuring the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
Premier Li Qiang led a symposium prior to the opening, pledging to optimize the investment environment for foreign investors and expand market access. The fair, co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the Guangdong Provincial People's Government, expects over 30,000 exhibiting companies and up to 340,000 overseas buyers from more than 220 countries and regions.
This edition marks a strategic shift in Chinese manufacturing from cost-based scale to intelligence and design. Approximately 64 percent of exhibitors are utilizing artificial intelligence and industrial internet technologies, with new and green products reaching record highs of 23.2 percent and 26 percent of exhibits, respectively. High-tech innovations include brain-computer interfaces, next-generation energy storage, and exoskeleton robotic technology from RoboCT.
Trade data indicates strong momentum, with China's total imports and exports rising 18.8 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2026. International participants noted that China is increasingly acting as both a global buyer and seller, providing the technology and capital necessary for industrial upgrading in partner nations.
