135th Canton Fair Bolsters Economic Relations With Middle Eastern Nations

The 135th China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, has recently concluded its promotional tour across the Middle East, marking significant strides in fostering trade relations. The tour, which took place from February 29 to March 7, spanned key locations including Dubai, UAE, and Cairo, Egypt, and involved in-depth business discussions in Morocco. This initiative was spearheaded by Zhang Sihong, Deputy Secretary General of the Canton Fair and Deputy Director General of China Foreign Trade Centre.

The delegation's mission was to invite high-quality enterprises from the Middle East and surrounding areas to explore cooperative ventures and business opportunities. This effort has led to notable successes in reinvigorating trade vitality within the region. A key highlight of the tour was the emphasis on leveraging the Canton Fair's online platform for continuous engagement. Zhang Sihong highlighted this during a conference, stating, "We hope that Middle East buyers can utilize the Canton Fair's online platform for regular engagement, facilitating online appointments and offline negotiations to achieve more trade transactions through dual-channel interactions."

In Morocco, a significant development was the renewal of the partnership agreement between China Foreign Trade Centre and Confédération Générale Des Entreprises Du Maroc (CGEM), aimed at further enhancing trade between China and Morocco. The delegation also conducted field research at major sourcing platforms and institutions across the Middle East. This included visits to Noon, the largest e-commerce platform in the region; Dubai World Trade Centre; Marjane and Electroplanet, Morocco's largest supermarket and electronics mall respectively; and Gomla Market, the largest chain supermarket in Alexandria, Egypt.

Moreover, the delegation engaged in deep exchanges with several key organizations such as Dubai Chamber, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce UAE, CGEM, China-Morocco Economic, Trade and Cultural Exchange Centre, Cairo Chamber of Commerce, and Alexandria Business Association. These interactions have been instrumental in establishing a more comprehensive partnership system for the Canton Fair.

The promotional tour has been met with an enthusiastic response from all three Middle Eastern countries visited. This enthusiasm underscores the continuous effort to revitalize trade vitality not only locally but also in surrounding regions. For those interested in staying updated with the latest information on the Canton Fair, registration is available online.

The success of this promotional tour signifies a positive step towards strengthening trade relations between China and the Middle East. Through initiatives like these, both regions are set to benefit from increased business opportunities and cooperative ventures that promise mutual growth and development.