Canton Fair shows China, competitors now in an embrace

GUANGZHOU - At Area 15.1 of the sprawling Canton Fair in Guangzhou, the capital of southern China's Guangdong province, exhibitors from India, Pakistan and Turkey touted their wares to global buyers last fortnight.

Their presence at the gathering synonymous with China's rise as the world's manufacturing powerhouse illustrates the nation's shift from sweatshops producing cheap jeans and towels toward branded goods with better design and quality.

It's an upgrade backed by a government keen to clean up the environment and willing to cede low-end industries if needed to do so.