Twin trade events show China will not close its doors in face of tariff attack

While the United States tries to create a new trade order that is exclusively beneficial to itself with its so-called reciprocal tariffs, more than 30,000 domestic companies and over 200,000 overseas buyers are attending the 137th China Import and Export Fair, which opened in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday. Their participation is testimony to a common desire that the global economy and international trade should be mutually beneficial.

At a time when the US administration's bullying and threats are creating increasing uncertainty, the Canton Fair, as it is commonly known, is being widely viewed as a "barometer" of China's continued commitment to opening-up and its willingness to share its development opportunities with the world.

Forty-plus years ago, when China launched its reform and opening-up policy, the event was mainly a market for foreign buyers to purchase agricultural produce, handicrafts and local specialties, and a window for the Chinese to see the outside world. Now it has become a major platform for multinational companies to access the Chinese market, and promote cooperation between foreign entities with their partners in the world's second-largest economy.