Indonesia's Participation in China's Canton Fair Strengthens Trade Cooperation
Guangzhou (ANTARA) - The China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, edition 139, opened on 15 April in Guangzhou, southern China, recording a record participation of more than 32,000 companies.
The exhibition pavilions were crowded with domestic and international buyers, presenting a dynamic negotiation atmosphere and strong trade momentum.
In the procurement service area of Indonesia’s Kawan Lama Group, exhibitors came and went to establish connections. Over more than seven decades, Kawan Lama Group has grown into a company with over 38,000 employees, operating in 70 cities across Indonesia, supported by 14 distribution centres, as well as an extensive network covering around 1,200 stores and shopping centres.
Its six main business lines, namely retail, industrial and commercial services, themed culinary, commercial real estate, digital ecosystem, and smart manufacturing, have developed in a diversified manner.
“Personally, my journey with the Canton Fair began in 2005 when I first entered the exhibition hall. Over 20 years, I have never missed attending every edition of its organisation. It is no exaggeration to say that without the Canton Fair, Kawan Lama Group would not hold the leading position in Indonesia’s retail market as it does today,” said Zhu Zhiwei, procurement director at Indonesian Changyou Group.
He stated that Kawan Lama Group has established close business relations with more than 3,000 leading Chinese companies, supplying more than 200,000 product categories, from tools to household appliances, from building materials to new energy equipment. The Canton Fair has provided a sustainable flow of resources for the company, said Zhu.
According to the China Foreign Trade Centre, the first two phases of the exhibition as of Monday (27/4) afternoon local time had attracted 245,000 foreign buyers from 219 countries and regions, an increase of 2.2 percent compared to the same period in the previous edition.
Kawan Lama Group has implemented a number of advanced manufacturing projects in the Kendal Industrial Area (KIK) and is planning to build a larger new industrial area, aiming to establish an internationally competitive cross-border industrial chain.
The company also welcomes more Chinese companies optimistic about Indonesia’s growth to form partnerships in the form of joint ventures, bringing advanced manufacturing expertise and innovative business models to Indonesia to realise mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.
At the Canton Fair, the increasing diversity of smart products that are developing has driven digital transformation in the exhibition while presenting new momentum for the development of foreign trade.
“Using navigation to guide users is already common, but I did not expect navigation to also be used in tours at the Canton Fair,” said Sayyid, an Indonesian buyer of household appliances.
After arriving in Guangzhou, he became very interested in the new artificial intelligence (AI)-based air conditioner he saw at the hotel, hoping to purchase flagship products at this Canton Fair and bring them back to Indonesia.
In the robot exhibition area at the Canton Fair, Rudi Utomo, director of PT. Surya Medika Timur from Indonesia, also admitted to being impressed.
“I saw several wheeled robots that, although their appearance is not entirely human-like, are capable of doing many things that humans usually do. I want to introduce such products to hospitals in Indonesia to help doctors in taking and delivering medicine,” said Rudi.
Amid the deepening economic and trade cooperation between Indonesia and China, this year’s Canton Fair continues to create a new chapter in the “two-way rush.” China’s strong supply chain and comprehensive product categories precisely meet the needs of Indonesia and the entire Southeast Asian market through the Canton Fair platform.
Meanwhile, the vast market potential and high buying enthusiasm in Indonesia also provide strong impetus for China’s “smart manufacturing” to penetrate the global market.
First held in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. As a comprehensive international trade fair with the longest history of organisation in China, this exhibition has been recognised as a barometer of China’s foreign trade. Edition 139, which takes place in three phases in Guangzhou from 15 April to 5 May.