The China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, kicked off its 138th edition on Wednesday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. [Qiu Quanlin/chinadaily.com.cn]

The China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, kicked off its 138th edition on Wednesday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, displaying more than 1 million products developed within the past year.

Widely seen as a barometer of China's foreign trade, the fair helps facilitate the development of trade towards innovation, intelligence, and sustainability, as the number of high-quality enterprises participating has exceeded 10,000, according to the fair's organizers.

A smart medical zone was established for the first time at the fair, attracting 47 companies showcasing surgical robots, intelligent monitoring, and wearable devices.

The China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, kicked off its 138th edition on Wednesday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The fair runs until Nov 4 and includes three phases, with over 32,000 enterprises displaying their latest products and services. More than 240,000 buyers from 218 countries and regions, an increase of 10 percent from the previous session, have pre-registered, according to the organizers.

"The Canton Fair has remained a constant for us, a cornerstone in our sourcing strategy, and a gateway into China's evolving manufacturing landscape," said Stefan Hiergeist, country director of Lidl & Kaufland Asia.

The China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, kicked off its 138th edition on Wednesday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Hiergeist described the fair as a place where technologies, bold product designs, and breakthrough innovations converge to give a view of what is available on the market and where the industries are heading.

The fair brought back its service robot section, introducing 46 industry-leading companies with embodied robots and robotic dogs.

The China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, kicked off its 138th edition on Wednesday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"After displaying our products and services in the fair's previous session, we have reached international orders with buyers mainly in the United States and Europe," said Zhou Quan, marketing manager of KEENON Robotics. During the fair, the Shanghai-based company is showcasing its robotic vacuum cleaner and reception robots that are widely used in hotels, airports, hospitals, and warehousing and logistics companies.

"We have higher expectations for international orders during the fair as there is great demand for service robots in the international market," said Zhou.