The 133rd Fair (the “Canton Fair” or “the Fair”) opened on April 17, 2023. He Lifeng, a member of the 20th Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Prime Minister of China, gave a video speech and announced the opening of the event

The 133rd Canton Fair is taking place offline for the first time since the start of the pandemic. This demonstrates China's commitment to take advantage of its comparative advantages and to actively participate in the international division of labor. This event will promote its own development, while benefiting the whole world. The Fair will focus on promoting high-quality development and the active expansion of imports in line with the growth trend in consumption.

According to He Lifeng's speech, “the 133rd Canton Fair will promote industrial transformation and modernization, accelerate the coordinated development of trade in goods and services, vigorously support the innovation of foreign trade business models, and continue to strengthen the linking effect of the two resources within domestic markets and international”. For him, President Xi Jinping has repeatedly put forward requirements to build commercial power, stressing the direction of foreign trade development