Canton Fair Holds 140th Edition Alongside 2026 Pearl River Trade Forum in Guangzhou
China held the 2026 Pearl River International Trade Forum with the 140th Canton Fair in Guangzhou, gathering global executives to discuss Chinese expansion into global markets.
The 2026 Pearl River International Trade Forum was held on 16 October 2026 at the Canton Fair Convention Center in Guangzhou, China, under the theme Building Mutual Trust and Joining Forces for Shared Success. Held alongside the 140th Canton Fair, which marks the 70th anniversary of its founding this year, the forum brought together corporate executives and academics from several countries to discuss ways for Chinese businesses to expand into global markets at a time when the global trade structure is changing rapidly.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event Date | 16 October 2026 |
| Venue | Canton Fair Convention Center, Guangzhou, China |
| Forum Theme | Building Mutual Trust and Joining Forces for Shared Success |
| Concurrent Event | 140th Canton Fair (Celebrating the 70th Anniversary) |
Trust as a Key to Global Trade
Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization, stated via video message that trust is like the invisible infrastructure of international trade, whilst praising the role of the Canton Fair over the past seven decades as a bridge connecting China to the global market.
Jiang Xiaojuan from the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences spoke on the Born Global business model, a concept in which businesses aim to penetrate global markets from the very founding of the company, unlike the traditional model of establishing a strong domestic base before expanding abroad. She noted that advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence are key drivers of this trend, and called for transparency and clear rules for the cross-border movement of innovation.
Case Studies from Chinese Enterprises and Foreign Partners
William Huang, Managing Partner for South China at EY, pointed out that the Chinese private sector is upgrading from exporting products to exporting capabilities in research and development, supply chain management, and operational expertise.
Zhu Lei, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Gree Electric Appliances, shared the experience of participating in the Canton Fair for 31 consecutive years, citing its factory in Brazil where local workers account for up to 98% of the workforce. Meanwhile, Jiang Cong, Vice President of the International Business Department at Xiaomi Group, stated that technology businesses must build trust across products, platforms, and ongoing services, whilst Can Yildirim, Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer of Severin, which has operated in the Chinese market for over three decades, emphasised that the future of cooperation lies in value co-creation between partners.
Origins of the Pearl River Trade Forum
The Pearl River International Trade Forum was first held in 2021 as the first high-level international trade forum organised within the Canton Fair. Participants this year agreed that although the global economy is slowing down and facing pressures over international trade rules, openness and collaborative partnerships remain the main direction of the business world.
This news is of interest to exhibition and conference organisers in Thailand looking to study global MICE trends, as well as businesspeople and hotel professionals interested in future cooperation opportunities with the Chinese business sector.