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The 92nd China Export Commodity Fair opened on Tuesday in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province.

Called "Guangjiaohui" in Chinese, the fair is the oldest and largest of its kind in China. It has been held every April and October since 1957. The volume of business contracted at this fair each year equals one-third of China's yearly exports.

The fair is divided into two phases. The first show, running from October 15 to 20, focuses on raw materials, textiles, machinery, electronic appliances, food and medicine. The second show, from October 25 to 30, will focus on furniture, interior design and office equipment.

Altogether 8,613 Chinese businesses have taken part in the current fair, of which 588 are privately owned and make up 6.8 percent of all companies taking part. Manufacturing companies constitute 34.1 percent of businesses represented. Officials said the wider participation of private businesses and manufacturers was a result of China's policy of opening its foreign trade.

According to the latest official statistics, China's total foreign trade from January to September this year was worth 445.14billion US dollars, an 18.3 percent increase over the same period last year. Exports in this period were worth 232.56 billion US dollars, 19.4 percent up from the same period last year.

Fair organizers said the event was expected to attract 120,000 foreign businessmen. It has boosted the hotel business in GuangZhou and in almost all the city's hotels 80 to 90 percent of rooms are booked.

Airlines sources said flights from GuangZhou to other Chinese cities, southeast Asia and the Middle East would see a surge of passengers during the fair. Passengers were advised to book return tickets at least three days before their intended leaving date. Airlines are arranging for extra flights during the fair.