GUANGZHOU - The 125th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, opened Monday in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, with over half of companies attending its import fair hailing from Belt and Road countries and regions.

The spring session of the biannual fair holds import exhibitions in its first and third phases, with 1,000 booths booked by 650 enterprises from 38 countries and regions.

These include 383 companies from 21 countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, including Russia, Poland, the Philippines and Israel, said Xu Bing, spokesperson for the fair.

Large buyers such as Vip, a Chinese online discount retailer, and global retail giants Carrefour and Wal-Mart will attend the import exhibition.

The fair, which will be held from April 15 to May 5, is widely seen as a barometer of China's foreign trade.