China moves vast trade fair online, but few buyers follow

The website of the Canton Fair delivers live streaming from vendors, seen here on a computer screen in Beijing on June 19. — Ng Han Guan/AP

BEIJING: Standing in front of shelves laden with colourful backpacks, a saleswoman promoted bags on the Canton Trade Fair’s website without knowing whether anyone was watching as the world’s biggest sales event opened in cyberspace to avoid the coronavirus pandemic.

The twice-a-year fair usually draws more than 180,000 foreign buyers and 25,000 Chinese vendors to the southern city of Guangzhou. With most foreign visitors barred from China, the event has transformed itself into an e-commerce platform with mini-shopping channels.