Sino-foreign small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to further expand cooperation during the 12th China International SME Fair that will take place in Guangzhou, provincial capital of Guangdong in October.
"After three decades of fast economic growth, China has created huge opportunities for the development of SMEs and expansion of Sino-foreign co-operation," He Zuoxian, deputy director-general of Guangdong SME Bureau and director-general of the fair told a conference promoting the event on Wednesday.
"The Chinese government attaches special attention to the development of the country's myriad of SMEs which are playing a big part in the country's economic development and offering employment opportunities,"He said, promising that relevant departments will provide even better service to SMEs attending the October event.
"SMEs from home and abroad should grasp opportunities [to expand Sino-foreign co-operation],"he added.
The event is the largest international fair in the Chinese mainland to provide a "display, trade, exchange and co-operative platform"for Sino-foreign SMEs.
To help SMEs enhance their Sino-foreign co-operation, forums, lectures, seminars, business tours and field studies will be organized during the event which will take place in the city's Poly World Trade Center Expo that covers an exhibition area of more than 110,000 square meters, including more than 20,000 square meters for foreign SME participants.
More than 3,000 SMEs from 31 provinces, municipalities and regions from the mainland and 20 foreign countries and regions will take part.
More than 200,000 business representatives from China and the rest of the world are expected to visit the annual fair first held in 2004.
Chinese SMEs signed 29.3 billion yuan ($4.73 billion) worth of business and co-operative contracts with their foreign counterparts at the previous event last October. More than 560 SMEs from 21 countries and regions participated last year.
