By Zhao Yu

The 139th Canton Fair is being held in three phases in Guangzhou from April 15 to May 5. This session spans a total exhibition area of 1.55 million square metres, with 75,700 booths and more than 32,000 participating companies, all setting new records in scale. As of April 19, overseas buyers had exceeded 167,000.

According to the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Ningbo delegation occupies more than 4,500 booths at this session, accounting for over 6% of the total and ranking first among sub-provincial trading delegations. Across all three phases, more than 2,400 Ningbo-based companies (counted by participation) are participating, an increase of over 200 from the previous session. Total participation is expected to exceed 20,000 representatives.

Long regarded as a barometer of China's foreign trade, the Canton Fair remains a key platform for Ningbo exporters to seal deals and forge long-term relationships.

Amid the crowds at this year's fair, a story spanning more than two decades unfolded.

At the booth of Ningbo Ruyi Joint Stock Co., Ltd., founder Chu Jiwang had just finished a conversation with a client when a team member quietly told him: "Mr. Chu, someone has been waiting for you for half an hour."

The visitor was Medhat, an Australian client of more than 20 years. He first discovered the company's products at a trade fair more than two decades ago and later visited its factory in Ninghai County. One moment from that first visit has stayed with him. When shaking hands, Chu noticed that Medhat was missing two fingers on his right hand and asked whether he had lost them while operating a stamping press. Medhat recalled being taken aback, before nodding in reply.

Ruyi's deputy general manager Wei Chunhong recalled that in 2023, when she attended an exhibition in Australia, Medhat asked whether the company's founder had come and later sent her an old photograph.

In the image, both Chu and Medhat still had dark hair. Chu wore a red shirt under a dark blue jacket, while Medhat wore a tropical-print shirt with one hand resting on Chu's shoulder. Together they held up a calligraphy scroll reading: "China and Australia are one family; friendship in business binds us together", written by Chu himself.

At the time, Chu was in his early sixties and Medhat in his forties. Today, one is in his eighties and the other in his sixties.

At the booth, Medhat turned to Wei and asked directly: "Do you remember the photo I sent? Is that 'young man' here?"

Chu's children often encouraged him to step back from the Canton Fair, given his age. But he still insists on going. He has attended every edition since first participating in 1987 and says this is his 75th.

For Chu, the fair remains a constant source of learning and connection — from new products and industry trends to customer feedback and management ideas. He describes it as a "never-ending classroom." This restless drive is what Chu calls the "spirit of youth", a sentiment shared by Medhat.

"I've written at least 500 pieces of calligraphy for clients over the years, so I honestly don't remember every one," Chu said. "But I am deeply moved that he kept that piece for more than 20 years." When Medhat speaks of Chu Jiwang, his tone is full of respect. "He's a very kind, very simple person. He treats everyone equally."

Over the years, although Medhat has encountered many similar products, he said Ruyi's remain the most reliable. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have worked together for more than 20 years," he said.

What began as a business relationship gradually developed into something more personal. According to Wei, Medhat often shares family updates with the company, from weddings and celebrations to grandchildren, along with photos of family gatherings.

"It feels like a friendship," she said. "He often says the company gives him a sense of home, not a purely transactional relationship."

The calligraphy gifted more than 20 years ago still hangs in Medhat's business in Australia, a quiet marker of a relationship that has endured.