China's Deputy Foreign Minister Wang Guangya has called on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) to extend greater support to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region.
Wang made the call at a luncheon given in honor of participants in the ABAC meeting that opened Friday morning at the Regal International East Asia Hotel in Shanghai.
"ABAC should raise more effective suggestions to help SMEs with technological innovation, easier financing and better enterprise management," the Chinese official said.
He also called on ABAC to further promote human resources development in the region.
Wang noted that ABAC has become the most important organization representing the business community in APEC. "ABAC has served as an easily accessible and interactive bridge between enterprises and government and set a fine example of cooperation between government and the business community," he said.
The Chinese APEC senior official spoke highly of this year's ABAC report entitled "Common Development through Market Opening, Capacity Building and Full Participation", and pledged that suggestions in the report will be studied and implemented in earnest by the APEC forum.
Zhang Zhigang, a Chinese vice minister of the State Economic and Trade Commission, ABAC delegates and business leaders from the host city attended the luncheon.
(China Daily October 19, 2001)
