As the Fourth Qingdao Multinationals Summit (QMS) still reverberated, worldwide guests were drawn to Qingdao to attend the 12th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Conference and Fair which lasted from November 9th till 11th. As one of important Chinese cities promoting higher-level opening-up, Qingdao is emerging as a platform for an increasing number of multinationals and foreign capital to access China and invest in China, with a slew of international exchanges and cooperation events held in the city.

The QMS held this October, composed of 30 events in 14 categories, has helped erect a bridge for mutually beneficial cooperation between multinationals and China, attracting the participation of leaders of 422 multinationals from 36 countries and regions, and facilitating the signing of 194 foreign-invested projects with a total amount of approximately USD20.6bln. Multinationals’ actions in Qingdao have shown their trust in China as well as China’s determination to expand higher-level opening-up and continue to pursue economic globalization.

The QMS focuses on large enterprises, while the APEC Technology Conference and Fair commits to building a platform of exchanges, exhibition, trading and cooperation for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the world, particular these in the Asia-Pacific region. With the theme of “Digital Innovation Drives Sustainable Development, Win-win Cooperation Leads to Greater Prosperity”, the 12th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Conference and Fair attracted the participation of officials of competent authorities for SMEs in 17 APEC economies and 19 countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, scholars, experts and more than 1,600 enterprises. In the exhibition hall covering an area of about 50,000 square meters, China’s advanced manufacturing enterprises and enterprises that are specialized, refined, differential and innovative have captured enormous attention with their notable achievements, and the participating SMEs from different countries scrambled to showcase their innovative products to seek cooperation opportunities. At the invitation of the event, purchasing delegations from governments, central SOEs and overseas buyers flocked to the fair to place big orders with SMEs. Furthermore, key policies have been explained in the event so that it would be easier for foreign companies to integrate with the Chinese market, know about China’s policies and secure opportunities presented by China’s development. (Zhou Xiaofeng)

Qingdao’s exhibition area in the 12th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Conference and Fair.