China Foreign Trade Centre (CFTC), the organiser of Canton Fair, in collaboration with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Egypt, held a press conference to announce the launch of the 117th Canton Fair taking place from 15 April – 5 May at the Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China. The press conference was attended by Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs, Embassy of PRC, Mr. Han Bing, Deputy Director General of CFTC, Mr. Liu Jiangjun, and Mr. Sameh Zaki, Board Member at Cairo Chamber of Commerce. Over the past three years, trade volume between China and Egypt has been steadily increasing. In 2012, China became the top trade partner for Egypt, with a trade volume representing 7.8% of Egypt's total trade. The total volume of bilateral commercial trade reached $11.6bn in 2014, compared to $10.2bn in 2013, according to the Chinese Embassy in Egypt. "Out of all delegations coming from the MENA region to Canton Fair, the Egyptian delegation is usually the largest. This reflects the strong commercial ties between Egypt and China and I am confident that both countries are committed to maintaining such healthy relations," said Jiangjun. Canton Fair has the most complete exhibit variety, the best business turnover in China, and the largest buyer attendance. The 116th Canton Fair concluded on 4 November, 2014, and attracted 186,104 buyers from 211 countries and regions, Jiangjun added. "At Canton Fair, we are dedicated to improving commercial relations with all countries around the world, with Egypt of course being an important one," said Bing. "This means collaborating with business associations in Egypt and across the world, reaching out to companies that will appreciate just how valuable the Canton Fair can be."
