Cooperation summit to bring new growth opportunities

The country's largest international fair for small and medium-sized enterprises remains vigorous amid the lingering pandemic, and is expected to enhance global investor confidence in China, said senior officials.

The 17th China International SMEs Fair, or CISMEF, is being held from today to Sept 19 in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province.

"CISMEF has been developed as an important arena for SMEs from home and abroad to display, transact, exchange and cooperate over the past 16 years," said Wang Xi, vice-governor of Guangdong, in a news conference.

Thanks to China's stringent measures to effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 domestically, the fair is being held as planned after being rescheduled from 2020 to this year. "Via the fair people will be able to see China's sound economic situation, which is bound to increase the confidence of the investors," Wang noted.

Covering an exhibition area of 80,000 square meters at the Canton Fair Complex, located on the island of Pazhou in Guangzhou, the fair features 3,000 booths, more than expected 2,500.

Domestic exhibitors take up roughly 2,500 stands, which mainly focus on the industrial fields of smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence, equipment manufacturing, electronic information, bio-medicine, and food and agricultural products, according to the organizing committee.

Company quality is being stressed in this session with nearly 1,000 stands, or about 80 percent of all Chinese exhibitors, recognized as industrial leaders at both State and province levels, Wang said.

They are leading in either special technologies, fine products and techniques, unique products or services, or innovation in technology or production modes, he added.

In the overseas exhibition area, foreign-funded companies from 35 countries and regions, including Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, The United Arab Emirates and Iran, take up a total of 468 stands, according to the organizing committee.

Thailand is the co-host country of CISMEF again for this session, 10 years after its first go in 2011. It has arranged for more than 50 companies to attend the fair, acquiring a total of 1,600 sq m of exhibition area.

"Despite relevant measures on travel restrictions, I would like to inform you that at the Thailand Pavilion, we are proud of bringing varieties of our Thai products which are well received in the Chinese market, ranging from food and beverages, lifestyle goods, cosmetics and spa products as well as hospitalities and services from 54 Thai enterprises," said Natenapa Kongsri, consul-general of Thailand in Guangzhou, at a recent news conference.

"Bringing our SMEs to CISMEF is considered an important mission for us as CISMEF provides a perfect platform to boost the cooperation and development of SMEs, which will result in the stronger role of SMEs in the closer economic cooperation and exchanges between our business sectors," she noted.

Some 20 Germany-funded companies are attending the fair, mainly focusing on smart manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, automation and industrial design.

Summit enlightens thinking

The International Cooperation Summit for SMEs, initiated by China's State Council to promote their development, will be staged for the first time, simultaneously with the fair.

The fair, coupling with the summit, will have its influence expanded, which is expected to provide new opportunities and growth space to SMEs at home and abroad for higher-level cooperation and win-win situations, said Liang Zhifeng, director of the SME department under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The ministry is one of the organizers of the fair.

"The fair plus summit mode can allow more thorough exchanges of wisdom, market information, technological know-how, capital flow and management experience. Thus it can better satisfy the rising demands of SMEs in coping with more complicated market situation, financial support and development environment," said Liang.

The summit will arrange a series of seminars, including a ministerial-level roundtable centering on SME policies, to share experiences on how to effectively solve the difficulties that SMEs encounter, learn the latest development trends and advanced technologies, said the organizing committee.

Jurin Laksanawisit, deputy prime minister and minister of commerce of Thailand, and Li Yong, director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization will deliver online remarks at the summit, said vice governor Wang. Senior officials of several international organizations, ambassadors of 10 countries in China, and representatives from the embassies and consulates in China will attend the summit, Wang added.

Liang said a huge procurement plan for SMEs around the world, valued at no less than 100 billion yuan ($15.5 billion), will be announced at the summit. The move will demonstrate the Chinese government's support for the development of SMEs, he noted.

"We will keep promoting external exchanges and cooperation of SMEs… promoting the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment," he said.

chenhong@chinadaily.com.cn

Visitors seek business opportunities at the 16th China International SMEs Fair in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. CHINA DAILY

Participants attend the opening ceremony of the fair in 2019. CHINA DAILY

Iran's booth at the fair. CHINA DAILY

Ceramics are displayed at the fair. CHINA DAILY