Chinese and Foreign Leaders Discuss Economic Restructuring and Global Cooperation at the Global Summit of SME Leaders

On November 17, 2013, the Global Summit of SME Leaders, jointly hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Global Alliance of SMEs (GASME), and organized by the KINGOLD Group, celebrated its grand opening at the Imperial Springs International Convention Center. The theme of this summit was “The Challenges Facing SMEs in the Global Economy.” 


Mr. Zhu Xiaodan, Governor of Guangdong Province; Mme. Li Xiaolin, President of CPAFFC; Mr. Chen Jianhua, Mayor of Guangzhou;  Mr. Bill Clinton, former President of the United States; Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France (now deputy speaker of the Senate of France); Mr. Raul Diez Canseco Terry, former Vice President of Peru; Mr. Carlos Magarinos, Global Chairman of GASME and former Director General of UNIDO; Mr. Suresh Prabhu, former Minister of Industry of India; Mrs. Patricia Esoinosa, former Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Mexico; Mr. Ronald Bew, former Associate Deputy Administrator of U.S. Small Business Administration; Mr. William Spitler, former Director of New York Center of U.S. Department of Commerce; Dr. Chau Chak Wing, Executive Vice President of China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association; and other political and business leaders attended this summit. Professor Wang Jiazhuo, Executive Chairman of GASME, and Mr. Ian Chang, Vice Present of Boeing China, were also present at the summit, along with other dignitaries,. 


Governor Zhu Xiaodan extended, on behalf of the Guangdong Provincial Government, congratulations on the opening of the summit and extended a warm welcome to guests from home and abroad. He pointed out that that SMEs are the most vibrant, creative and promising component of the national economy; as such, promoting the growth of SMEs has always been the basic economic policy of all countries and a key area of international economic and trade cooperation. 


As an economic powerhouse and populous province of China, Guangdong has long been fertile ground for the creation and innovation of SMEs. It has placed great emphasis on strengthening the international cooperation of SMEs. This summit, bringing together global political and business elites for an exchange of views on the theme of “The Challenges Facing SMEs in the Global Economy,” is of great significance for promoting the international cooperation and sound growth of SMEs. Zhu expressed his hope that this summit could further the exchanges and cooperation between SMEs in Guangdong Province and other countries, and expand cooperation between SMEs in areas such as renewable energy, energy conservation and environment protection, creative design, logistics, and service outsourcing so as to identify new areas of growth and create a bright future for the transformation, upgrading and innovation-driven development of SMEs. 


President Li Xiaolin noted that SMEs are key drivers of the world economic development and important enablers of scientific and technological innovations. This summit provides a good platform for SMEs to share their experience in industrial upgrading and international cooperation. The recently convened Third Plenum of 18th CPC Central Committee has created good opportunities for the development of SMEs. CPAFFC will continue to expand new channels for the deeper engagement of SMEs in international cooperation and world economic development through organizing results-oriented international or local meetings and promoting public diplomacy. 


Mr. Clinton offered his views on the economic development of China and the world, the role and contributions of SMEs in the global economy, and ways to strengthen their international cooperation. Mr. Raffarin and Mr. Terry’s speeches focused on the challenges and opportunities facing SMEs in going global and the supply of global public goods. 


Dr. Chau Chak Wing, Executive Vice President of China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association and Chairman of the KINGOLD Group, pointed out that SMEs are the most vibrant component shoring up the world economy. It is therefore an important strategic task to promote the international communication and cooperation of SMEs. Coming from different parts of the world, the guests at the forum are important champions in promoting the comprehensive cooperation between the developing and developed countries. Their global perspectives, strategic insight, pioneering spirit, charismatic leadership, and visionary speeches will play an role of historic importance in driving the sustained growth of global SMEs. 


This summit has also invited over 200 political and business elites and experts from Chinese and foreign enterprises. These delegates shared their insights on the difficulties faced by the SMEs in their development, discussed the possible solutions, and exchanged views on the growth and choice of SMEs under globalization. They stressed the need to strike a “golden balance” between the growth and the reform of the economy, so as to pursue economic growth and stable employment through better development. They agreed that the government must properly handle the relationship between economic development and ecological and environmental protection and bear in mind that protecting and improving the environment is the same as protecting and growing productivity. 


“Global Summit of SME Leaders” is one of a series of high-end international conferences hosted by the Imperial Springs International Summit. This summit is aimed at building a high-end platform for exchanges between government leaders, leading officials of international organizations, heads of Chinese and foreign enterprises, experts and scholars. By actively expanding new channels for Chinese companies going global and effectively bringing in premium global resources, the Imperial Springs International Summit has given strong support to the overall growth of the Chinese economy.