The Press Conference forthe opening of the 122th session of China Import and Export Fairwas held in Canton Fair Complex in the morning of Oct 14^th. Mr. XuBing, spokesperson of the Canton Fair, Deputy Director General of China ForeignTrade Centre, has introduced the general situation of this session.

According to Xu Bing,with intense but orderly preparation, the 122th Canton Fair isready, which will open tomorrow.

Xu Bing has pointedout that, in this year, the global economy has shown positive momentum anddeflation of major economies has been relieved. The market confidence has beenboosted and global trade recovered. The declining trend of China’s foreigntrade has been curbed and a relatively rapid growth has been achieved. We havefurther optimized the structure, accelerated the transformation of growthengine and consolidated the steady growth momentum. Yet, we remain sober-mindedthat the international and domestic environment remains complicated. “Anti-globalization”trend and trade protectionism are gaining ground, and global economic recoveryfaces uncertainties. China still has serious economic structural imbalances andsuffers from rising cost of production factors and accelerated transfer ofindustries and orders. We need to keep a close eye on the uncertain and unstablefactors confronting foreign trade and consolidate the steady growth momentum.

Xu pointed out thatthe 122th  Canton Fair is held before the opening of the 19th CPC National Congress; therefore it is especially significant. In hiscongratulatory letter to the 120th Canton Fair, President Xi raisedCanton Fair’s status and gave it a new historic task--to drive the developmentof open world economy. In this session, we will continue to implement President’sXi’s important remarks, new philosophy on governance, new ideas and newstrategies, take instructions of President Xi and Premier Li as guide, carryout new development concepts, and make new changes in systems mechanisms andbusiness model. We will improve the globalization, specialization, marketorientation, information technology application at the Canton Fair. We willalso upgrade Smart Canton Fair and Green Canton Fair; improve Canton Fair’simage as a window for China’s IPR protection. And we will give a full play toits role as a compressive platform and make new contributions to the steadygrowth momentum, the cultivation of new competitive advantages, and sustainableand sound development of foreign trade.

Xu Bingintroduced that the whole arrangement of the 122th Canton Fairremains the same and exhibition size steady. The 122th session willstill be held in three phases with a total exhibition area of 1.185 millionsquare meters and 60,466 booths. There are 25,049 exhibiting companies fromhome and abroad. Phase 1 starts from Oct 15th to 19th,showing Electronics and Household Electrical Appliances, Lighting Products,Vehicles Spare Parts, Machinery, Hardware & Tools, Building Materials,Chemical Products and Energy Products. Phase 2 starts from Oct 23th to 27th, showing Daily Consumer Goods, Gifts and Home DecorationProducts. Phase 3 starts from Oct 31th to Nov 4th,showing Textile and Garment, Shoes, Cases and Bags, Recreation Products,Medicine and Healthcare Products and Food.

16 categories ofproducts will be exhibited in 51 sections. In this session, there are 59,483booths and 24429 exhibiting companies in the National Pavilion. The bootharrangement is as follows: 11,925 brand booths and 47,558 general booths,taking up 20% and 80% respectively. The number of exhibiting companies in 3phases is: 8,640 in Phase 1, 7,360 in Phase 2, and 8,429 in Phase 3.

TheInternational Pavilion will be set up in Phase 1 and Phase 3, with an area of20,000 square meters. There are 983 booths and 6 product zones, and 620enterprises from 33 countries and regions, among which 341 enterprises or 583booths are from the Belt and Road countries.

Xuintroduced that we will continue to improve specialization and demonstrate theresults made in supply-side reform. Firstly,optimize product zones by dividing sections. 140 product zones will be setup in 34 sections and it is the first time in Household Electrical Appliances,Power Machinery and Electric Power, Clocks, Watches and Optical Instruments,Kid’s Wear, Furniture, Furs, Leather, Downs & Related Products, Carpets& Tapestries to have specialized product zones.  We’ve also integratedand optimized Consumer Electronics and Information Products to improveexhibition result. In the meantime, we’ve strengthened specialized promotion ofexhibition, update the materials for key topics and use search engines andsocial media for marketing. Secondly, furthernurture new topics. We’ve launched comprehensive evaluation of New Energyand Pet Products exhibitors. Together with Outdoor Spa, new exhibitors accountfor 11% of all exhibitors in the new topics. We’ve also enlarged productsections such as Wind Energy and other energy products, Pet Food, Outdoor SpaFacilities. Structure of exhibitors and product zones has been optimized,industrial leading brands continue to exhibit, and the overall quality ofexhibition has been improved. Thirdlyimprove specialization in the International Pavilion. We’ve strengthenedexhibitor recruitment and promotion of the International Pavilion and attractindustrial leaders to participate. In Phase 3 we will set up a pilot project ofInternational Zone for Baby Product, with the participation of Germany, NewZealand, South Korea and other overseas brands. We’ll also hold varioustrade-matchmaking activities, to build a “One-Stop” bridging platform foroverseas exhibitors and domestic buyers.

The Canton Fair has gathered more than160,000 categories of products of 25,000 companies all over China, a stage to demonstrate to theworld China’s progress made in the supply front of foreign trade andindustrial transformation and upgrading. In the coming session, exhibitorswill focus on innovation-driven development and cultivate their new competitiveadvantages in the foreign trade sector based on technology, brand, quality,service and standards, and improve their global competitiveness of bothproducts and companies. Many leading companies with self-owned IPR, brands andcore technology will bring their latest products, and smart, premium,custom-made, green and low carbon products with own brands have become thelatest trend.

 Xu said that we’ve used big data fortargeted marketing to improve promotion. On the one hand, we’ve strengthenedpromotion in Belt and Road countries; direct mails ofinvitation sent to these countries accounted for 48% of the total. We have led promotional teams to 12countries and visited over 60 facilities including government departments for tradepromotion, chambers of commerce and exhibition corporations, and held 8promotional activities in various forms. Around the globe, Internetpromotion campaigns were held in 17 cities of 17 countries. We’ve exploredsecond- and third-tier markets, covering all major continents.

On the other hand, we’ve made new changesin the pattern of promotion to make it more targeted. We’ve builtsix international social media platforms with our characteristics andfocused on Facebook and LinkedIn. On key themes and markets, online and offlineengagement marketing was conducted. We’ve made innovation in targeted marketingmode and optimized marketing content and promotion channel based on target markets and key industries. We have further developed the I-invite series activities to improveconversion rate, carried out Buyer Incentive Program for inviting buyers,enlarged the ARNB target countries to 88, enhanced partnership with airlines toprovide customized discount and convenient business travel experience. We’vestepped up Overseas Partnership Program, and signed agreement with 109 overseasindustrial and commercial organizations in 67 countries / regions, to buildCanton Fair’s global marketing network.

Xu introduced that, we will consolidate Canton Fair’s high-end informationservice and other supporting value-added service to promote its transformationto a multi-functional platform. Firstly,extend design match-making service. PDC has enlarged its original designfashion show, and attracted over 100 design companies from 14 countries /regions. By introducing international design resource and bridging exhibitors,we will drive the transformation and upgrading of foreign trade industrialbase. Secondly, strive to launch the CFAwards selection. 574 companies with 1086 products have applied for the2017 CF Awards, both the figures hitting record high. In Phase 1 we will holdthe awarding ceremony of the 5th anniversary of CF Awards. Thirdly, organize various kinds of forums.Conferences and forums on 8 themes will be held provide comprehensivevalue-added service and encourage companies to take a path of innovation.

Xu mentioned that the Canton Fair is a window for IPR protection andinnovation encouragement by the Chinese government. In this session we willtake a series of measures to strengthen IPR protection to ensureinnovation-driven development and transformation and upgrading. Firstly, strengthen publicity. Wewill summarize our achievements, experiences and best practices in IPRprotection at the Canton Fair, and demonstrate its image as a window of China’sIPR protection. Secondly,issue rules and regulation. We will improve relevant rules. Combining thecases dealt with onsite in the past sessions, we will supplement the specificstandards for dealing with companies involved in alleged IPR infringement. Thusstandardizing and improve the efficiency of complaint filing. Thirdly, improve prevention mechanism. Throughrisk reminder, self examination and correction, inspection during the Fair, wewill cover all the exhibition sections. Fourthly,improve branding. We have launched Complaint Station logo, shortened itsname and improved sign navigation, to better the environment for complaints andcases and facilitate patent owners to safeguard their rights.

Xu introduced that in this session we willcontinue to drive “Canton Fair + Internet” action plan and the online offlineintegration, to improve exhibition organization and service quality. Firstly, optimize Exhibitors & Productssearch system. Based on the search system on official website, we’vestrengthened online offline integration and made new ways of display.Exhibitors & Products will cover all sections and exhibitors and facilitatebuyers to make individual sourcing plan beforehand, improve sourcing efficiencyand bring more buyers to the exhibitors. Secondly,continue to launch “Highlight Products”. Since the 118th session, we set up the “Highlight Products” column on the website, to promotebrand companies in an all-round way. Since its launch, there has been greatachievements made; the number of enquiry and clicks on products are both higherthan average. By Oct 13, 1737 companies in the “Highlight Products” have uploaded23,155 pieces of exhibit information. It will continue to be a popular column. Thirdly, improve smart service. We’veupgraded the Canton Fair website and mobile APP to improve service experienceof exhibitors and buyers; extended the service scope of WeChat mini programs oncomplaint and malfunction reporting, developed new functions such as  exhibitor Badge status enquiry, status enquiryof booth construction drawings report and onsite service worksheet procedure;improved functions of smart information collection of buyers badge application,introduced photo auto-cut technology to improve badge application efficiency.

Xu said that in this session we willcontinue to consolidate our achievements made in green development. Accordingto the 100% green booth coverage rate goal, we will press ahead green move-innormalization. Through issuing evaluation and management regulations,innovating competition mode for green booth award, establishing punishmentmechanism for exhibitors in breach of the regulation to further improve thequality of green development. We’ve issued and implemented Canton Fair Green Development Plan 2.0 to set up Canton Fair’sgreen development system that is systematic, standardized, information-basedand serves as a benchmark, following the principle of coordinating economic,social and environmental benefits. By coordinating the whole industrial chainand supervising all links, we will continuously improve the progress made ingreen development and lead the exhibition industry nationwide to follow thedirection of green, low carbon, energy conservation and environmentalprotection.

Xu emphasized that in this session we willstrive to ensure the stable operation of the fair. We’ve worked closely withrelevant departments of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Municipality to builda comprehensive security and prevention system. A real-name badge applicationsystem will be extended to all personnel and security check and verificationwill be carried out during the entire fair. We’ve also used facial recognitiontechnology to verify information of “person, badge, picture” and search badgeapplication record. We’ve also increased security investment in network information,equipment, food safety, etc. and improved emergency plan, report and proceduresto increase our responding capacity.

Xu Bing introduced that in order toimplement documents of the central government on supporting steady growth of foreigntrade, we, at the Canton Fair, will come up with pragmatic measures to supportexhibitors’ development. Firstly, relievethe burden of exhibitors. We will collect booth fee in accordance with the reducedstandard in the 119th session to support our exhibitors. We’vecancelled booth fee for exhibitors from 839 poverty-stricken counties andQuannan County (to which Ministry of Commerce provides assistance). We willcontinue to reduce and cancel 23 service fees and provide free carpet layingfor standard booths to relieve exhibitors’ burden. Secondly, set up Traditional Chinese Specialties section. We willset up the Traditional Chinese Specialties section in Hall 6.0, Phase 3, andcanceled their booth fee. There are altogether 197 booths, showing clothes,cases and bags, food and other topics in Phase 3. We take actions to support foreigntrade development of certain regions.

Moreover, Xu Binghas answered questions regarding the implementation of “Belt and Road”initiative, supporting foreign trade development of impoverished regions,strengthened IPR protection, highlights of the International Pavilion, trend ofbuyer attendance, etc.

In this session somekey events are as follows.

The OpeningReception of the 122th Canton Fair will be held in Westin Hotel inthe evening of Oct 14th.

2017 CF AwardsPresenting Ceremony and 5th Anniversary will be held in ConferenceRoom No.8, Area B, in the afternoon of Oct 15th.

Canton Fair (UK)Internatonal Market Forum will be held in Conference Room No.8, Area B, in theafternoon of Oct 16th.

Remark: This news relevant Data come from: http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.aspx, And The Images are shot by Oscar Lee.