Ukrainian business to seek opportunities in China's Canton Fair

KIEV - About 2,000 representatives of Ukrainian business will attend the 122nd Canton Fair, which will open next month in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.

"Canton fair is well-known in Ukraine and it enjoys a great popularity. According to various calculations, each exhibition is visited by about 2,000 representatives from Ukraine. I believe the upcoming fair will be visited by the equal or greater number of participants," Gennady Chizhikov, the president of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

He made the remarks during the presentation of the 122nd Canton Fair in Kiev, which was attended by representatives of about 90 companies from all over Ukraine.

Chizhikov said that the Canton Fair is a trading platform, which attracts the attention of the Ukrainian businessmen working in various sectors -- from agriculture to innovative industries.

"According to our information, the exhibition is frequently visited by the companies that work in the field of high technologies, which mostly purchase equipment at the fair. The event is also an opportunity for the companies to promote their own goods," Chizhikov said.

The upcoming Canton Fair will be special for Ukraine as many Ukrainian food-making companies will attend the fair, he added.

Launched in 1957 by the Chinese government, the Canton Fair is held in the spring and autumn seasons each year. Being China's largest trade fair, the exhibition is widely seen as a barometer of China's trade.

During its 121st session from April 15 to May 5, 2017, a total of 196,500 buyers from 213 countries and regions attended the Canton Fair, up by 5.9 percent from last year.

According to Ukrainian experts, the popularity of the Canton Fair among Ukrainian businessmen is also rising with each coming year due to the wide information campaign carried out by the fair's organizers and the increased interest of Ukrainian entrepreneurs in doing business with China.

Georgy Gubskiy, deputy director of Fialan Company, which since 2004 provides logistics and information assistance for Ukrainian entrepreneurs visiting the Canton Fair, said that the number of his clients has increased in the recent years as the trade show constantly improves and innovates.

"The main positive side of the Canton Fair is that the Ukrainian businessmen can find newly-designed products at the fair, thus expanding the assortment of goods they sell," Gubskiy told Xinhua.

Ruslan Osypenko, the executive director of Chinese Commerce Association in Ukraine, described the Canton Fair as a good instrument to promote global trade. He also hailed the role of the Chinese government in combating protectionism.

"China is working to develop the multilateral trade system. At the time, when some countries close their markets or turn to bilateral trade relations, China has introduced its famous One Belt One Road Initiative, which is advancing global free trade," Osypenko said.

The 122nd Canton Fair will be held from Oct 15 to Nov 4, and about 25,000 vendors and some 200,000 buyers are expected to attend it.