SME fair to deepen global cooperation

The 15th China International Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Fair will continue to promote close cooperation between small and medium sized enterprises in China and around the world, officials announced at the news conference on Thursday.

Hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Guangdong government, this year's fair will consist of 6,000 exhibition booths spanning 150,000 square meters, including more than 1,000 international booths.

A press conference on the 15th China International Small and Medium Enterprise Fair is held on May 3. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The fair's themed exhibition, running from Oct 10 to 13, is slated to be held at the Poly World Trade Center Expo in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

The China SME Summit, SME cross-border matching meetings, SME information forum, 2018 Asia Pacific Information Communication Technology Alliance Competition and other major events will be launched during this period.

The furniture exhibition, which will run from July 9 to 12, will focus on intelligent manufacturing and businesses involved in the national Internet Plus strategy aimed at promoting the integration of internet technology and traditional industries.

The home appliance exhibition, to be held from Aug 23-26, will focus on smart construction materials and home appliances, as well as energy efficient products and technology.

Members of the organizing committee for the 15th China International Small and Medium Enterprise Fair share details about the upcoming fair at the press conference. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The furniture and home appliance exhibition will be held at the Guangdong Tanzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center in the city of Foshan.

The United Arab Emirates and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization are the two co-hosts of this year's fair.

"This is the first time that CISMEF has worked with Middle Eastern countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative," said Wang Jiangping, deputy director of both the fair's organizing committee and of Industry and Information Technology.

 "The UAE is China's largest export market and second largest trade partner among Arab countries. The fair will build a new platform for the SMEs of the two countries to deepen economic and trade cooperation," Wang said.

This year's fair will feature 6,000 exhibition booths spanning 150,000 square meters, including more than 1,000 international booths. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

According to Badir A. Almusharrekh, minister plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates, SMEs are playing a central role in the UAE's drive toward cultivating a thriving private sector and diversified economy, which makes SME empowerment a strategic priority for the government.

The UAE will work closely with the Chinese, as well as certain institutions and platforms such as CISMEF, to further develop SMEs.