China News Service, Shanghai, November 7 (Reporter Yin Qianyun) The 140th Canton Fair concluded in Guangzhou on November 4. 352,000 overseas buyers attended the fair, and an intended export turnover of US$26.75 billion was reached on site. One day later, the 9th China International Import Expo opened in Shanghai, with global companies bringing goods and technologies looking for opportunities in the Chinese market.
Two international exhibitions were held in succession. Between "exit and entry", China's attitude towards promoting balanced development of trade and sharing development opportunities with the world became clearer.
In the CIIE exhibition hall, goods and technologies from all over the world are looking for buyers, and the demand in the Chinese market continues to be released. In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports grew by 22.3% year-on-year, 5.9 percentage points higher than exports; based on statistics from a single country and region, imports to more than 110 countries and regions grew faster than exports.
The "Exporting China Capacity Development Report" released during the current CIIE shows that China's imports are shifting from being dominated by industrial products to diversifying industrial products, energy resources products and agricultural products, with high-end commodities and primary commodities expanding simultaneously.
As China's market demands become increasingly diversified, countries with different resource endowments and development stages are finding business opportunities here.
On the export side, China actively responds to new global demands. The World Trade Organization (WTO) stated that in the first half of this year, artificial intelligence products contributed 47% to global trade growth. During the same period, China's exports of artificial intelligence products achieved rapid growth.
The global green transformation is driving up the new energy product market. China provides more than 80% of the world's photovoltaic modules and 70% of wind power equipment, providing support for the green transformation of trading partners.
Martin Jacques, a former senior researcher at the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge, pointed out that China's manufacturing competitiveness comes from industrial capabilities, infrastructure and complete supply chains. China's international investment and green technology cooperation create new conditions for the industrialization of other countries.
Behind the trade exchanges are the deep interweaving of global industrial chains and supply chains. For a "Made in China" product, from R&D and design, raw material procurement, to production and manufacturing, logistics and sales, the links in the chain may involve multiple countries.
"The surplus lies with China, and the interests belong to all parties" is exactly the embodiment of this global division of labor and cooperation. Data show that in the first half of this year, a considerable part of China's exports were completed by foreign-funded enterprises. Among exports to the EU and South Korea, foreign-funded enterprises accounted for nearly 30% and 40% respectively.
He Shaojun, head of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce of China, pointed out that foreign-invested enterprises contributed 16% of China's surplus in 2025 and obtained generous investment returns.
At the 140th Canton Fair, nearly 20% of the 32,000 exhibiting companies made overseas investments, creating more than 200,000 local jobs. The CIIE has also attracted more and more foreign-funded companies to delve into the Chinese market. Companies have transformed from exhibitors into investors, realizing their own development while sharing opportunities in the Chinese market.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline emphasizes "accelerating the construction of a strong trade country, promoting the improvement of the quality and efficiency of foreign trade, and promoting the balanced development of imports and exports." This year’s Chinese government work report also pointed out that “actively expand imports and promote balanced development of trade.”
By continuously enlarging the "cake" of economic and trade cooperation with open cooperation, China is injecting new impetus into global economic growth with more balanced and inclusive trade development.
