The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced that the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will take place on September 4th in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, Southern China.
The event will be held under the slogan 'innovation-driven development for mutually beneficial cooperation.' The meeting will gather representatives of SMEs from APEC member countries, APEC Secretariat staff, and other guests.
According to a statement by Liang Zhifeng, Director of the Bureau of SMEs at MIIT, the main focus will be on technological innovation, digital development, and inclusive growth. It is expected that a joint ministerial statement and other documents will be presented following the meeting.
Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Ke Jixin noted that through in-depth exchanges of views, all economies can achieve practical and far-sighted agreements. The goal is to promote mutual learning of policies and implementation of results, as well as jointly enhance the innovative potential, digitalization level, and sustainable development capabilities of SMEs in the Asia-Pacific region.
Wang Sheng, Vice Governor of Guangdong, reported that most preparations for the meeting are complete, and all APEC member countries have confirmed their participation. Over 2100 companies from various countries have registered to participate in accompanying exhibitions, with more than 3900 booths planned.
China will also host the 33rd APEC Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, Southern China, in November of this year. This will be the third time the country has hosted this event after Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.
This year has been declared the 'Year of China in APEC' under the theme 'Building a Prosperous Asia-Pacific Community.' Throughout the year, about 300 APEC-related events and meetings are planned in various cities across China.
