Second World SME Conference to be held in Beijing

The Second World SME Conference is scheduled to be held at Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center from June 21 to 23, aiming to facilitate communication and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide, the conference's organizers said in a media conference on Thursday in Beijing.

With support from organizations such as the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the conference this year is jointly organized by a slew of organizations including the China Association for Small & Medium Commercial Enterprises (CASME), the Public Diplomacy & Culture Exchange Center, and the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Wang Min, president of CASME, said the association initiated the World SME Conference as a platform for SMEs worldwide to communicate and cooperate in response to the United Nations' decision in 2017 to designate June 27 as "Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day".

He said the SME Day highlights their important role in achieving sustainable development, promoting innovation and creativity, and providing decent jobs for all people.

The first World SME Conference held in Beijing last year achieved great success thanks to its distinct themes, rich content and active participants, according to Wang.

"SMEs are the pillar of economic development in the world, and are also the most dynamic and creative enterprise group," Wang said. "Building a community with a shared future needs everyone's strength."

The conference this year will focus on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and the international cooperation of SMEs worldwide, with forums and roundtables on related topics, and exhibitions and designed negotiation areas.

There will be an opening ceremony, a main forum and numerous sub-forums, to promote multi-level communication and exchanges.

Such forums and activities will include business matchmaking and negotiation sessions to facilitate cooperation, orientations from senior government officials of different countries and regions to introduce the latest policies, and speeches from scholars, industry experts and entrepreneurs that will provide insights and experiences on business operations.

Industries such as new retail, blockchain, artificial intelligence and fintech will be covered.

Faisal Mohamed, the Maldives Ambassador to China, said SMEs are vital for a healthy market economy and employment. He said the Second World SME Conference is going to be a great platform for SMEs across the world to have a dialogue, which he is looking forward to.