Chinese Officials Meet APEC SME DelegatesLi Rongrong, president of the 8th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Ministerial Meeting (APEC SME) and Chinese minister in charge of the State Economic and Trade Commission, met respectively with U.S. and Thai officials who are in Shanghai to attend the meeting Tuesday.Li held separate meetings with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance William Lash and Thai Minister of Industry Suriya Jungrungreangkit in Shanghai. Li welcomed the guests to Shanghai, saying that as the frontier of reform and opening to the outside world in the country, Shanghai has seen rapid growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the past few years. This is one of the reasons why the APEC SME meeting was held in this city. China actively supports and pushes forward exchanges and cooperation among SMEs in APEC member economies, Li said. He expressed the wish that China and other APEC member economies will further exchange experience, enhance understanding and promote cooperation at the meeting. Lash expressed his appreciation for the efficient preparatory work China has made for the meeting, saying the Department of Commerce of the United States intends to enhance dialogue and cooperation with China's State Economic and Trade Commission so as to improve bilateral economic and trade links. Jungrungreangkit said Thailand will further cooperate with China to deal with the problems facing SMEs and jointly contribute to the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific Region. Zhang Zhigang, head of the Chinese delegation to the meeting and vice minister in charge of the State Economic and Trade Commission, met with Gregory Domingo, under secretary of trade and industry of the Republic of the Philippines Tuesday evening. |
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