The fair has attracted buyers from 226 countries and regions, and 47 business institutions from Europe, America, Africa, Oceania, and other regions. The fair is expected to promote international trade cooperation and boost economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 133rd Canton Fair, which kicked off on April 16th, saw a bustling crowd of foreign exhibitors and buyers filling the exhibition halls. A total of 370,000 people visited the fair on the first day, including 67,000 foreigners, while 410,000 people participated in the event online, including 280,000 foreigners.

At the booth showcasing two photovoltaic inverters by Chinese tech company Skyworth, Greek buyer Marko Popara exchanged business cards with the salesperson and pointed to his WeChat QR code. Popara, who hasn't been to Guangzhou for three and a half years, said he was interested in purchasing inverters and TVs, with a particular focus on photovoltaic products.

"In the past decade, China seems to have suddenly become capable of producing and providing everything," Popara said. "I'm trying to find new business opportunities for technology and projects from the Chinese market." Popara added that due to the energy crisis in Europe in recent years, there is a huge potential demand for photovoltaic products, and China's products in this field are highly competitive, with world-leading technological innovation.

At the electronics and home appliance exhibition area, Singaporean Johnnan Tan was discussing technical cooperation with the salesperson from the Chinese tech company Gree."Air conditioners used in Singapore are multi-split, with multiple indoor units connected to one outdoor unit, so we value digital and intelligent functions in home appliances," said Tan, standing in front of the Gree air conditioner booth. He added that Gree is a leading player in the "smart manufacturing" field and can help them achieve intelligent management of air conditioners with apps.

On the other side of the Gree booth, a Lebanese buyer attending the Canton Fair for the first time said he wants to purchase a batch of household air conditioners. He chose Gree because there are agents for the brand in Lebanon and it already has a reputation in the local market. In addition, foreign buyers from different regions have been stopping to inquire about high-tech products such as the AI-equipped Clivia air conditioner.

There was a high concentration of foreign buyers at this long-awaited in-person Canton Fair, with a large number of foreigners walking around the crowded exhibition booths. They were especially attracted by intelligent tech products made in China, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, and driverless shuttle buses.

广交会外贸“窗口”历久弥新
“中国智造”引外商蜂拥而至

226个国家和地区的采购商线上线下报名参会，欧洲、美洲、非洲、大洋洲等47家工商机构组团参会……

4月16日，第133届广交会开展第二天，人山人海的展馆里大批国外参展商、采购商川流不息。据了解，广交会首日全天进场37万人次，其中外国人6.7万人次；线上平台参与41万人次，其中外国人28万人次。

“This is my WeChat（这是我的微信）。”在创维的两款光伏逆变器产品前，希腊的采购商Marko Popara指着名片上的二维码，跟现场销售人员谈后续的合作。Marko Popara表示，他已经三年半时间没有来广州了，想在这次的广交会采购一些逆变器、电视产品，其中最关注的是光伏产品。

“在过去的十年里，中国好像突然之间变得什么产品都能生产，什么产品都能提供，我也开始试图从中国市场寻找一些技术、项目的新商机。” Marko Popara说，受欧洲近几年的能源危机影响，光伏产品的潜在需求非常巨大，中国在这个领域的产品很有竞争力，技术创新上做到全球领先。

在电子、家电产品展区，新加坡人Johnnan Tan在跟格力的销售人员谈技术合作。“我们新加坡的空调是多联机的，多个内机连接到一个外机，非常看重家电产品的数字化、智能化功能。”站在格力空调前的Johnnan Tan告诉记者，格力在“智造”赛道上的实力是非常领先的，能够帮助他们通过终端软件平台实现对空调的智能管理。

在格力展区的另一边，第一次参加广交会的黎巴嫩采购商则表示，他想采购一批家用空调，之所以选择来格力，是因为黎巴嫩有格力的代理商，这个品牌在当地市场上已经有一些名声。此外，AI加持的Clivia新品空调等“黑科技”产品前，也引得来自不同区域的外国采购商频频驻足询问。

记者注意到，在这届久违的线下广交会外商“浓度”颇高，大量的外国面孔穿梭在人流如织的展品前，其中一批智能科技感十足的“中国智造”产品异常吸睛，譬如新能源汽车及智能网联汽车展厅的无人驾驶直升机等，淡蓝色外观的文远知行无人驾驶小巴也吸引不少客商试乘体验。

文丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 许张超 孙绮曼
图丨羊城派资料图
翻译丨刘佳慧