Multi-functional robots, intelligent air conditioners, low-carbon equipment - these are just some of the many cutting-edge technology products gracing the ongoing 122nd China Import and Export Fair, or Canton Fair.

As many leading companies are exhibiting new products with their own patents, brands and technologies at the fair, the event was making a bigger effort to better protect intellectual property rights, said the organizer.

The biannual fair, widely regarded as a barometer of the country's foreign trade, kicked of on Oct 15 and will last until early November in Guangzhou, southern Guangdong province.

Chinese home appliances giant Haier Group is showcasing its "world-first" refrigerator, which can preserve wet and dry food separately and control the density of oxygen to keep them fresh.

Domestic air conditioner-maker Gree Group brought 100 products to the show with innovative technologies, including in the areas of photovoltaics and ultra-low temperatures.

Wu Bin, assistant general manager of Gree's overseas sales division, told Nanfang Daily that 80 percent of the exhibits were newly developed.

"Visitors to the fair care more about high-end products. This time we brought out our company's emerging key technologies," Wu said.

More than 160,000 products from about 25,000 companies from home and abroad are featured at the exhibition.

"Artificial intelligence, high-end and customized brands, and low-carbon products have become the new trends," said Xu Bin, a spokesperson of the fair.

A ball-like microwave oven from home appliances company Galanz Group - which can cook dumplings, chicken wings, pork ribs and rice - features a door on the top, challenging the traditional design.

Xiao You, an AI robot, stood at the gate to the fair to answer visitors' questions. These included the purchase of tickets, information about the local subway and tips on scenic spots and restaurants.

Staff said the robot was equipped with a complete map of Guangzhou, a cloud database and a capacity to recognize English and Chinese words.

The first phase of the fair, lasting from Oct 15-19, mainly displays products such as home appliances, lighting, automobile parts, machinery and building materials.

Special stands were established for watches, children's clothes and furniture.

Experts from the trademarks, copyright and patent departments were providing services at the complaints station at the fair to deal with issues concerning trade and IP disputes, according to Xu.

Companies who are charged with violations of IP rights will have to remove or hand over their products, lose stands or even be barred from participating in the fair again.

A new rule this year allows companies to withdraw their complaints.

Companies that had their rights violated in previous fairs, are now being given advice online to avoid risks in advance, he added.

chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/19/2017 page16)