Foreign buyers have business talks during the 137th edition of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

In spite of intensified trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions, China's products and market are still appealing to foreign business people.

A record-breaking 65 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders are participating in the ongoing fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in the tropical island province of Hainan in south China.

Meanwhile, the Canton Fair, which kicked off on Tuesday in Guangzhou, south China, drew 64,530 overseas buyers on its opening day, an 8.9 percent year-on-year increase and a record high for the first day. This event in Guangdong Province features major international retailers, including Walmart and Target from the United States, Carrefour from France, Tesco and Kingfisher from the UK, and Germany's Metro.

According to Niu Huayong, a professor at the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University, the success of this year's CICPE and Canton Fair highlights that trade and cooperation remain key drivers of global development. All countries benefit from globalization, he said.

Amid current global trade turbulence, international buyers attending the Canton Fair still consider Chinese products highly attractive and even irreplaceable.

Dinova, a retail company headquartered in France which finds most of its suppliers at the Canton Fair, has made China the core of its global sourcing strategy, according to its general manager Sonia Ben Behe.

"We have explored alternative countries, but no other region matches China's maturity for our product category. That's why, as part of a global sourcing strategy, China remains at the core," she said.

According to Chris Arthan, an exhibitor from the United States, despite the impact of tariffs, China's role in the global supply chain remains crucial and widely respected.

In addition to the strong appeal of Chinese products to global buyers, international brands also have confidence in China's consumer market. For this year's CICPE, top producers from around the world eagerly flocked to Hainan.

The UK, as the guest country of honor at the 2025 event, is occupying an exhibition area of more than 1,300 square meters, displaying 53 brands across the fashion, beauty, homeware, health and jewelry industries, and doubling its 2024 presence.

"I have seen the tremendous innovation and growth taking place within China's economy in recent years, not least in digital technologies, life sciences and green energy," said Douglas Alexander, minister of state of the British Department for Business and Trade, while also emphasizing the UK's commitment to deepening economic ties with China.

Notably, the expo has managed to draw an array of top-tier global luxury brands. Richemont's TimeVallée debuted as an independent exhibitor, while LVMH and Kering Group brands made appearances -- reflecting confidence in China's premium consumption growth.

"Luxury consumers in China are significantly younger than those in many overseas markets, and that presents a major opportunity for us," said Nancy Liu, president of luxury travel retailer DFS China. The company has introduced tailored services to cater to the expectations of emerging consumer groups.

People visit the British pavilion during the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

Global trade uncertainties and growing supply chain disruptions have not prevented foreign investors from remaining optimistic about the Chinese market. China's market size, rising consumer demand and supportive policies continue to offer unique and strong appeal, helping to retain investor confidence.

According to Yao Zhenguo, global senior vice president of Siemens Energy, the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port is unlocking new opportunities for openness. He noted that Siemens will continue to strengthen collaboration across the full industrial chain, drive innovation, and support Hainan Free Trade Port's international, green and law-based growth.

Yao said Siemens has deeply felt the momentum of China's reform and opening up, a view echoed by many exhibitors. They believe that amid a challenging global economic climate and rising trade protectionism, China's firm commitment to high-standard opening up delivers much-needed stability and certainty, injecting confidence into the world economy.

China's total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 1.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating stable growth and strong resilience despite external headwinds, customs data showed.

U.S. tariff increases on Chinese products will exert some pressure on China's trade and economy in the short term, but won't alter the Chinese economy's long-term positive trajectory, said Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics.

Zhang Yansheng, an economist with the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, told Xinhua that based on the trade events in Guangzhou and Hainan, the resilience of China's foreign trade against the backdrop of growing protectionism in the world is evident. "We can see that foreign business people continue to seek opportunities in China."

"China is a country with a large population, a big economy and a huge scale of opening up," he continued. "At a time when the sentiment of anti-globalization grows, China will stick to the path of opening up at a high level, and promote economic globalization, as well as trade and investment liberalization."