Capitalizing on China's successful multilateral cooperation programs, the 14th China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair - running Oct 10-13 in Guangdong province's capital, Guangzhou - is expected to wield greater influence on the international community, according to the event's organizers.

The organizing committee of the fair, also known as the CISMEF, told a recent news conference that a total of 31 countries and regions will send business delegations to the event.

Among them, 16 are countries and regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative, which was proposed by the Chinese government in 2013.

The BRICS nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Some of them, according to the organizers, have attached great importance to the annual fair for small and medium-sized enterprises.

More than 70 companies - mostly SMEs from South Africa in the fields of services, agriculture, renewable energy resources, tourism, jewelry, food and handicrafts - will show their products and services in a 1,000-square-meter exhibition area.

South Africa will also be the co-host of the 14th CISMEF.

South Africa is one of the most developed countries in Africa, with the mining, manufacturing, agriculture and service sectors as its four economic pillars. It is also one of the best destinations for trade and investment in the continent, for its mature market situation and good geographic location.

Russia, which was the co-host of the previous fair, will again organize about 40 enterprises at the 14th CISMEF. Products and services related to the food, textile, healthcare, IT and consumer goods sectors will be showcased.

Countries involved with the Belt and Road Initiative will also be eye-catching during the fair.

For instance, the Malaysian pavilion will cover more than 700 sq m, with exhibits on 78 stands.

Thailand's pavilion will have 59 exhibition booths in an area of 720 sq m and Vietnam's pavilion will have 52 stands. About 20 enterprises from Indonesia will participate in the event.

The Japanese and South Korean pavilions will have 30 and 44 stalls respectively, showcasing their high-quality food products and consumer goods among others.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization will also be the co-host of the 14th CISMEF, in addition to South Africa.

UNIDO is a special UN organization devoted to promoting sustainable development and helping poverty alleviation through facilitating global industrial cooperation.

The organization has for many years highlighted the importance of SMEs in sustainable development. This time it will have a special exhibition area to showcase knowledge, technologies and other supportive measures to help SMEs to grow.

More opportunities

The CISMEF organizing committee said it will continue to offer more opportunities to boost cooperation between SMEs from various countries and regions.

The organizing committee will arrange matchmaking events for Chinese and overseas SMEs. It said more than 500 enterprises will take part in these activities.

A financing symposium for SMEs from Asia and Europe will be held during this year's CISMEF. Government officials and financial industry insiders from home and abroad will introduce the latest policies and measures to support their growth.

There will also be 10 trade fairs for suppliers and buyers, covering industries such as food, beverages, healthcare, cosmetics, handicrafts and textiles.

A range of exhibitions will be held during this year's SME fair.

According to the event's organizing committee, cross-border e-commerce will be the highlight of all the exhibitions.

The total exhibition area for the e-commerce show will be 5,000 sq m and 250 stands have been booked.

International e-commerce giants such as eBay, Wish and Amazon have confirmed they will take part in the show, to help SMEs to expand operations through their global e-commerce platforms and networks.

There will be five sections of the e-commerce show, including areas for entrepreneurship, imports, exports, internet-plus logistics and e-commerce demonstration zones.

An e-commerce summit will be held during the fair, centering on "building an e-commerce ecosystem for the regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative", according to the organizers.

Business leaders in the e-commerce industry will share their insights on future growth trends and offer more cooperation opportunities for SMEs in the Belt and Road-related regions.

In addition to e-commerce, emerging industries such as the smart manufacturing, energy-saving, environmental protection and electronic information sectors, will also be highlights of the fair.

According to the event's organizers, about 60 percent of the participating enterprises from China will exhibit the latest technologies, products and services relating to these emerging industries.

Organizers said the trend is in line with Made in China 2025, the country's industrial strategy that requires the manufacturing sector to upgrade from "made in China" to "innovated in China". The total exhibition area for the pavilions for China's provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions will total 20,000 sq m and the number of stalls will total 1,200.

Exhibitors at the pavilions will include SMEs, and companies and institutions offering services for SMEs, according to the CISMEF organizing committee.

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(China Daily 09/04/2017 page10)