The First China Small and Medium Enterprise Fair (CSMEF), scheduled from Oct. 18-22, opened on Monday (Oct. 18) in Guangzhou.

The fair, dedicated to boosting the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), is being sponsored by the China National Development and Reform Commission, China State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Guangdong Provincial Government.

About 2,000 SMEs from throughout China will exhibit at the fair, with 1,860 booths, a wide range of products, such as textiles and clothing, household appliances, food and medicine.

A series of conferences and promotional activities will also be held during the five days, to provide a platform for government officials and entrepreneurs to exchange experience and views on SME development.

All mainland provinces, as well as Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, have sent government delegations to the fair.

As host province, Guandong has the largest delegation which includes more than 20 sub-delegations from major cities including Shenzhen.

SMEs have played a significant role in China's national economy. According to statistics, China had more than 3.6 million registered small and medium enterprises and 27.9 million self-employed household firms by 2003. They generated 55.6 percent of the entire national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

More than 75 percent of the technical innovations and 80 percent of new products in China were developed by SMEs, which own a total of 65 percent of the overall national patents.

As the economic powerhouse of China, Guangdong has made great achievements in boosting the development of SMEs.

Editor: Olivia