GUANGZHOU, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) — A Chinese-made heat pump that could save European households hundreds of euros a year. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered teaching tools reaching classrooms in Vietnam. Industrial machinery helping developing countries expand production.
The 140th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, is offering a window into how China’s exports are giving consumers more choices and businesses access to technology and equipment.
When Gree Electric Appliances first attended the Canton Fair 31 years ago, it mainly exported household air conditioners. This year, the Zhuhai-based company is showcasing low-carbon energy solutions covering home appliances, industrial equipment, energy storage and cold-chain technologies.
One heat pump system designed for the European market can cut annual electricity use by about 50 percent. At an average European Union electricity price of 0.3 euros per kilowatt-hour, it could save a household in a 150-square-meter home around 800 euros a year, or more than 1,000 euros in countries such as Germany, according to Gree.
The company’s products now reach more than 200 countries and regions, serving around 600 million consumers.
“For Gree, the story of going global is very simple,” said Zhu Lei, Gree’s vice president and chief marketing officer. “We have one fundamental goal — to meet consumers’ needs and provide them with the best products and services.”
The potential savings for European households illustrate what Chinese Premier Li Qiang described as the benefits of China’s role as a “super seller.”
“As a ‘super seller,’ China brings benefits to its trading partners,” Li said at the Canton Fair’s opening ceremony.
He said quality and affordable Chinese goods had raised consumers’ actual purchasing power, improved their quality of life, and helped countries strengthen their capacity for industrial development.
China exported 23.2 trillion yuan (about 3.46 trillion U.S. dollars) worth of goods in the first nine months of 2026, up 16.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the General Administration of Customs.
Its exports range from 300,000-tonne oil tankers and industrial robots to miniature ice makers and portable filming equipment. China’s manufacturing supply chains allow businesses to turn ideas into customized products.
From 2012 to 2025, China exported about 39 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of textile machinery to developing countries, helping some countries in Southeast and South Asia become major textile producers and exporters, according to Chinese industry figures.
Marking its 70th anniversary this year, the Canton Fair reflects how China’s exports have evolved, offering a wider range of products and technologies to consumers and businesses worldwide.
At the first fair in 1957, agricultural products and handicrafts, including silk, tea and porcelain, accounted for 63.9 percent of export transactions by value. Machinery and electronic products became the largest product category in 1999. Today, consumer electronics, AI-powered devices and energy storage equipment are among the products on display.
More than 32,000 Chinese and overseas companies are participating in this year’s fair, held in three phases in Guangzhou from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4. The first phase drew a record 189,000 overseas buyers from 214 countries and regions.
About 64 percent of exhibitors have adopted technologies such as the industrial internet and AI. New products account for 23.2 percent of exhibits and green products for 26 percent, both record shares.
At the fair’s new energy vehicle exhibition area, GAC Group showcased models that included the AION i60, aimed at overseas consumers concerned about travel costs and driving range.
Wei Haigang, president of GAC International, said the company is expanding overseas while building charging and energy storage networks to support local customers.
Chinese companies are also bringing technology and services to overseas schools. At the booth of Guangzhou-based CVTE, AI-powered displays turn abstract lessons into visual presentations. Another AI system helps teachers prepare lesson plans, slides and classroom activities.
Xiao Hang, president of CVTE’s overseas business group, recalled a project in Vietnam in 2024. Rather than simply installing equipment, the company sent a seven-member team to work with local users for three days.
“When the children came out of their classrooms, they gathered around us, greeting us in English, Vietnamese and even imperfect Chinese, eager to give us high-fives,” Xiao said. “At that moment, we realized this was not just a business, but also a responsibility.”
Pascal Lamy, former director-general of the World Trade Organization, said the Canton Fair had become a major meeting point for Chinese producers and businesses worldwide, connecting “supply and demand, producers and consumers, ideas and markets.”
Lamy said China had been one of the greatest beneficiaries of the opening of the world economy over recent decades, while also contributing to the global economy through production, innovation, investment and trade. ■
المصدر: english.news.cn
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