APEC SME Meeting Ends in ShanghaiThe Eighth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation SME Ministerial Meeting concluded in Shanghai Thursday after adopting a joint ministerial statement on the further development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).At the two-day meeting, the ministers responsible for SMEs and their representatives from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) reached consensus and put forward suggestions on a wide range of issues including promoting technological innovation, facilitating financing and improving the environment for SME development. The ministers emphasized that the APEC members should step up cooperation and dialogue on SME policies and called for the broadest possible participation by the business circles in the APEC process. They said that the APEC members should take advantage of the opportunities brought about by the New Economy and economic globalization to enable SMEs to contribute to the common prosperity of all APEC members. During the ministerial meeting, with participants also from the APEC Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council and the Pacific Islands Forum, a business forum of SME executives and an exhibition on SME development were held, and the ministers had a joint session with representatives from the APEC SME Business Forum. The ministers held wide-ranging discussions on how APEC SMEs could best respond to the new challenges emerging in the new century with focus on such three issues as advancing technological Innovation, facilitating financing; and improving the environment for SME development. The meeting, under the theme of "New Century, New Challenges: Innovation and Environment for SME Development," endorsed the report delivered by the chair of the APEC SME Working Group (SMEWG) and the proposal for the Interaction with the Business Community. The ministers also endorsed the SMEWG amendments to the related sections of Osaka Action Agenda and directed the SMEWG to continue to push for the implementation of relevant initiatives and activities, and welcomed the decision to allow China's Macao to participate in SMEWG activities in the capacity of guest until the end of the year 2003. An official of the organizing committee said the meeting has fulfilled all its agenda. The APEC ministers and their representatives exchanged their successful experiences and aired their advice and suggestions on SME development, which have been fully reflected in the Joint Ministerial Statement. It has been decided that the 9th APEC SME Ministerial Meeting will be held in Mexico in 2002. |
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