By YUAN SHENGGAO

The 128th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, opens online on Thursday, with Commerce Minister Zhong Shan and Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui in attendance of its opening ceremony in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

The ceremony on the cloud, chaired by Ren Hongbin, assistant minister of commerce, will also include officials from the departments of the central government, as well as the Guangdong provincial and Guangzhou city governments.

The Canton Fair is a pivotal platform that promotes China’s opening-up and international trade.

Approved by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, the 128th CIEF is being held online from Oct 15 to 24.

Under the special circumstances of this year, the Chinese government’s decision to host the event online reflects its highly responsible attitude toward responding to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move will help maintain the safe and smooth operations of the global industrial and supply chains while stabilizing the flow of foreign trade and investment. It is conducive to promoting the further integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and advancing the construction of the Bay Area.

At the same time, the online format will also help coordinate business operations with epidemic prevention and control. It calls for a new complementary “Dual Circulation” development pattern with the domestic circulation, or the internal cycle of production, distribution and consumption, taking a greater role. It encourages a multilateral trade system and economic globalization.

To date, nearly 26,000 companies from home and abroad have registered as exhibitors during the ongoing Canton Fair, displaying more than 2.4 million products.

Meanwhile, buyers from more than 200 countries and regions have signed up for the event, seeking new business opportunities.

The Canton Fair official website has been upgraded with better services, platform functions and experiences offered, especially in buyer registration, product search and online business talks, organizers said. These improvements will help both suppliers and buyers with their access, search and commercial negotiation, they added.

The CIEF official website includes the sections of exhibitors and products, global business matchmaking, exhibitors on live, and cross-border e-commerce, providing 24-hour service.

Buyers from around the world are invited to the event for promotions, offers and deals signed on the cloud worldwide, while export-oriented businesses make full use of the platform for market expansion. Thus, it brings the global business community closer in cooperation, creating more new opportunities for mutually beneficial developments, organizers said.