Exporters are battling weak demand and technological hurdles, He Wei reports from Guangzhou

Gao Qiang had finished two packs of cigarettes before getting his first business card, from a Saudi Arabian buyer, at the Canton Fair, China's largest international trade event.

Gao, general manager of electronic toolmaker Wilon Tools Manufacturing Co Ltd in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, had not inked any deals on the fair's grand opening day, which would have been unthinkable five years ago.