Canton Fair waits for Belt and Road boost

Organizers of the China Import and Export Fair are pinning high hopes on buyers from countries and regions along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to provide a much-needed impetus for transactions amid sluggish foreign trade prospects.

The flagship event, which is held twice a year and also known as the Canton Fair, is considered an important barometer of China's future trade activity.

Buyers from countries and regions along the Belt and Road will account for more than half of registered overseas participants at the fair, which will open on Thursday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.