China's space tourism program to debut at Hi-Tech Fair

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., the nation’s leading space contractor, will unveil its commercial space tourism program to the world at the 27th China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), which will run from Nov. 14 to 16 in Shenzhen.

Visitors pack Hall 11 in last year's China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, exploring cutting-edge technologies and company booths from around the world. Photos courtesy of CHTF

The highly anticipated reveal will be a centerpiece of the fair, which will occupy 400,000 square meters of space at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. The event is expected to draw over 450,000 visitors, underscoring its status as a critical hub for international technological exchange.

This year’s fair will feature 22 specialized exhibition zones. Prominent areas include key national devices, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, semiconductors and integrated circuits, consumer electronics, and the low-altitude economy and commercial aerospace sector.

Visitors interact with a humanoid robot at RoboSense’s booth during last year’s China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen.

Organizers anticipate nearly 5,000 exhibitors, with over 90% of displays being physical products. More than 60 launch events and roadshows are scheduled, with debut exhibits accounting for over 20% of all displays, signaling a strong focus on innovation.

The event has secured widespread participation, with delegations from over 30 Chinese provinces, municipalities, and special administrative regions, including Shanghai, Chongqing, Hong Kong, and Macao. Internationally, more than 30 countries and regions, including Russia, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and Pakistan, will also be in attendance.

A major operational shift for this year’s fair is an enhanced focus on facilitating deals. International buyers comprise 10% of the procurement delegation, with domestic buyers from within and outside Guangdong Province making up the remaining 30% and 60%, respectively.

International attendees arrive at the entrance of the China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen during last year's fair.

To directly support this “pro-transaction” approach, the fair will debut an international investment negotiation zone and an international buyer matching zone. These areas will host major financial institutions and corporations, including Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital, IDG Capital, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which are seeking investment opportunities and partnerships.

Total transaction value is expected to reach a new high, as leading global firms like General Electric, Microsoft, ABB, and South Korea’s KAKAO have been invited to source products and find partners.

The fair will also feature over 200 supporting events, including professional forums, product launches, and procurement meetings. Dozens of academicians, alongside industry leaders and experts, will lead discussions on frontier fields like commercial aerospace, AI, and embodied AI.

The annual CHTF, which started in 1999, is the largest and the most influential science and technology fair in China.