This year, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation will co-host the China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair.

It will be the first time that the fair's organizing committee has cooperated with an international organization to put on the world's largest fair for SMEs, which is scheduled to be held in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, from Sept 25 to 28.

The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation is a special unit within the United Nations Development Program that promotes technical cooperation among developing countries.

The UN office has become an important platform for technological and financial cooperation among SMEs across the world, sources with the organization said.

"Collaboration with the UN organization will help optimize the business environment for Chinese enterprises," said Zhu Hongren, chief engineer at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"It will also provide us with a better idea of ways in which we can support SME development in an effort to help them upgrade their businesses during this current global economic downturn."

The fair aims to expand markets and enhance services, including financing, technology support, management training and international exchanges for SMEs, according to Zhu.

"Cooperation with the international organization will help Chinese SMEs find opportunities in the overseas market," Zhu said.

Official sources said China currently has more than 40 million small enterprises, accounting for about 60 percent of the country's economic development.

This year's fair, which covers 100,000 square meters and has 5,000 exhibition booths, will include six specialized exhibition areas featuring auto parts and appliances, green food, jewelry and crafts.

The fair will also provide 1,000 booths for overseas exhibitors, covering an area of 20,000 square meters, according to Zhu, also a deputy director of the fair's organizing committee.

"We will organize some matchmaking events for both domestic and overseas exhibitors and buyers, to enhance the fair's efficiency," Zhu said.

Zhu said organizers will hold a series of promotional events as well as a high-level forum for SMEs.

The SMEs forum will be held at the opening day of the fair at Guangzhou's Garden Hotel, where representatives from the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, Indonesia, also a co-host of the fair, and China will exchange their views and experiences with regard to SME development.

"We have also invited some financial institutions to promote their services and tailored financing products for SMEs to help them cope with the lack of financing, which has become a prolonged headache for many small businesses," Zhu said.

Indonesia has also become a co-host for this year's fair. Authorities from the country signed a memorandum of understanding in Guangzhou in May.

Neddy Rafinaldy Halim, Indonesia's deputy minister of cooperatives, and small and medium enterprises, said partnership with the world's largest fair for SMEs will help boost the country's business and trade links with China, the world's second-largest economy.

"We are very keen on exporting more products to China to facilitate trade ties," he said.

Trade between China and Indonesia is expected to grow from $66.2 billion in 2012 to some $80 billion in 2015, Halim said.

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qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/18/2013 page14)