Promoting pragmatic collaboration between Chinese and African SMEs

This year's China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair, scheduled to be held in Guangdong province in October, will advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Africa and promote the inclusive and sustainable development of SMEs in China and various countries, according to Xu Lejiang, vice-chairman of the organizing committee and vice-minister of industry and information technology.

Xu said at a news conference on Monday that the annual fair, known CISMEF, helps Chinese SMEs to go global and foreign SMEs to access the China market.

This year's fair adds two co-hosts: South Africa and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, he said.

"Under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the BRICS cooperation mechanism, the joint hosting of the event will further promote pragmatic collaboration between China and South Africa in industry, trade and economics," he said.

Thabo Thage, the consul general of South Africa in Shanghai, said SMEs contribute more than half of his country's GDP.

"We expect that CISMEF will help to enhance our current trade patterns by increasing China's sourcing of value added products from South Africa," Thage said.

Serving as a co-host of the fair for the first time, South African will select key companies to showcase the diverse nature of its economy, he added.

The main venue for the fair, which is due to be held on Oct 10-13, is slated to be the Poly World Trade Center Expo in Guangzhou, capital of the province in South China.

Two other events are to be held later that month in Shunde, a manufacturing hub in the province.

The first, which will run from Oct 12 to Oct 15, will focus on intelligent manufacturing and businesses involved in the national Internet Plus strategy aimed at promoting the integration of internet technologies with traditional industries.

The second, to be held on Oct 20-23, will focus on smart construction materials and home appliances, as well as energy conservation products and technologies.