The first time Ting Young Kang walked into the Canton Fair was in 1990. At that time, he was 18, fresh out of secondary school. He had traveled from Malaysia with his father, who had been coming to Guangzhou to source products since 1986.
More than three decades later, Ting, now managing director of Malaysia's Sun Jiang Trading Sdn. Bhd., still returns session after session. "When I come to Guangzhou, I always feel like coming home," he said, as the fair marks its 70th anniversary in 2026.
To him, the fair is "very magical" and "very charming," a place where every year has brought something new, and where "people can follow the trend of changing times."
Witnessing Guangdong businesses go global
Ting's family has long been in the household chemicals business in Malaysia. In 1986, the family company began working with a Guangzhou company now known as Guangzhou Lonkey, under the Guangzhou Consumer Goods and Services Group Ltd.
Starting in 2000, Lonkey saw the potential for its own brand to go overseas. Today, through Sun Jiang, Lonkey exports more than 200 containers a year, worth more than 40 million yuan. Their cooperation covers products including dishwashing liquid, washing powder and other household cleaning products.
Ting attributes the long partnership to mutual trust and complementarity, while Lonkey keeps up its research and development. During the export process, both sides keep refining formulas and fragrances to meet overseas market needs.
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country, and each ethnic group has different consumption habits. Sun Jiang provides suggestions on ethnic customs, product design, formulas and ingredients. "If you search Lonkey in Malaysia, you can see many videos and many users. It is an internet-famous brand," Ting said.
He also praised Guangdong's supply chain as "very complete." "Whatever you need, related industries can all be found here in Guangdong," he said. "Their mindset is also relatively open, so they are more ready to accept new things."
A bridge between Malaysia and China
As a representative of a Malaysian chamber of commerce, Ting has helped promote the Canton Fair overseas. When the import exhibition area was first launched, the chamber also helped bring Malaysian companies to exhibit.
(Photo provided by Ting Young Kang)
One story Ting recalls: a Malaysian company did not come back for a second session. When asked why, they answered, "We haven't finished delivering the orders we received last visit."
"In Malaysia, business may mean selling small items one at a time. However, in China's big market, you can sell several containers' worth," Ting said. For overseas companies, the Canton Fair opens up markets they normally could not reach, because it attracts buyers from over 220 countries and regions.
Ting has also witnessed the deepening of China-Malaysia ties. Flights between the two countries now exceed 700 a week. In business, many products now enjoy zero tariffs in both directions. Remittances are more convenient: payments no longer have to go through US dollars and can be settled in yuan, reducing exchange rate risk and lowering costs.
"I am a second-generation Canton Fair participant," he said. The third generation is already in sight: when his children finish school and start working, he will find an opportunity to bring them to the Canton Fair.
For young businessmen coming to the fair, his advice is simple. "Keep coming, because there are always new things for them to discover, for them to explore, and opportunities for them to seize."
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Poster | Lai Meiya
