There was an increase in international participation at the recently concluded 110th Canton Fair, the biggest trade fair in China. At the closing ceremony last Friday, Canton Fair spokesman Liu Jianjun said a total of 209,175 purchasers from 210 countries had attended. 

The fair began in 1957 and is held biannually in Guangzhou, every spring and autumn. The 110th session attracted 104 of the world's top 250 retail giants, including Wal-Mart, Carrefour, and Costco. Purchasers from Asia, Europe and the US accounted for more than 90 percent of the companies attending the fair. 

Liu also said that companies from emerging markets had shown a growing interest in Chinese goods. The trading volume with companies from India, Russia and Brasil grew by 9 percent compared with the last fair.