BRIEF INTRODUCTION: Ren Xiangdong, Deputy Director General of China Foreign Trade Center, gives a keynote speech during a promotional event for the 110th Canton Fair in New York on June 17 (CHEN WEN)

The upcoming China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, will set up the American Pavilion for the first time to encourage more U.S. companies to participate in the trade event, said an organizer of the fair.

"We sincerely invite more U.S. companies, especially the small and medium businesses to take part in the fair," said Ren Xiangdong, Deputy Director General of China Foreign Trade Center (CFTC), one of the key organizers of the Canton Fair. He made that statement in a promotional event held in New York City on June 17 for the 110th session of the Canton Fair to be held in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in mid October.

The promotional event was organized by the Economic and Commercial Office of the Consulate General of China in New York and CFTC, and co-organized by China General Chamber of Commerce USA. Over 100 representatives from the commerce departments of both countries as well as local companies, trade groups and business organizations joined the event.

Ren said that the United States has the advantages in high-tech, manufacturing, cultural and educational industries, which are crucially important in the global and Chinese markets. He encouraged U.S. companies to use the trade platform of the Canton Fair to promote their products.

According to Ren, the previous session of the biannual event, which concluded in May, attracted 208,406 buyers from 209 countries and regions. The last fair's total business turnover was $36.86 million.

Mark S. Jaffe, President and CEO of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, said that he wanted to reach out to the member companies of his chamber to tell them about the fair.

"We want to continue to work with international trade leaders to identify different categories that we can do business with, and the Canton Fair is doing that," Jaffe said. He added that hopefully companies will take advantage of the fair and sell products around the world.

Canton Fair has been held in Guangzhou every spring and autumn since 1957. It has the highest turnover of any trade fair in China.

(Reporting from New York)