Home GASME News Detail

GASME News

Global SME Expo 2010 Opens in Shanghai

The Global SME Expo 2010 was lunched in Shanghai Galaxy Hotel on June 22. The expo was co-organized by the Global Alliance of SMEs (GASME), Global Business Development Network (GBDN), Asia-Pacific SME Cooperation Center (APSMECC), China International Cooperation Association of SMEs, and operated by the US-China Exchange Association (USCEA) with involvement of over 30 chambers of commerce from various countries worldwide.

The theme of Expo is: Better Cooperation, Better SMEs


As a high level event with international influence, this year’s Expo observed the presence of more than 800 guests, including over 40 presidents of global business organizations, more than 30 foreign general consuls and commercial officers, more than 20 CEOs of overseas banks and investment corporations, over 200 business elites from other countries, more than 400 executives of leading Chinese industries, and over 100 local government officials.


Speeches were delivered on subjects such as global economic trends, the supply of SMEs’ public products, international collaboration, financing and overseas investment of SMEs. The speakers include:

Mr. Carlos Magarinos, Honorary Global Chairman of GASME and former UNIDO Director General;
Mr. Suresh Prabhu, Chairman of Global Energy and Environment Council of Indian Industrial Union and former Indian Minister of Industry;
Mr. William Zarit, Minister-Counselor of Commerce of US Embassy in China;
Dr. George Wang, Executive Vice Chairman of GASME and President of USCEA;
Mr. Ma Jun, Vice President of China International Cooperation Association of SMEs and Director of APSMECC;
Mr. Peter Kreutzberger, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the Germany in Shanghai;
Mr. He Weiwen, Former Commercial Counselor of Chinese Consulate-General in New York;
Mr. Jean Marie Cishahayo, UN Senior Expert/Consultant and Vice Chairman of GASME;
Mr. Shawn He Yuxun, Chairman of MeetChinaBiz.


During the Expo’s annual award ceremony, Mr. Magarinos conferred certificates to the newly appointed GASME Vice Chairmen and “GASME’s Lead Entrepreneurs”. Mr. Jean Marie Cishahayo, UN Senior Expert/Consultant, Mr. Tang Qiao, President of Wuliangye Yibin Co.,Ltd., and Mr. Xu Feng, President of Huaxia International Chamber of Commerce were elected as the GASME Vice Chairmen, and more than ten other entrepreneurs were named “GASME Lead Entrepreneurs”. They include: Mr. Philip Shockman (Founder and Managing Director of Fashion Accents Corp.), Mr. Jin Huiming (President of Zhejiang Jiaxing Zhongda Group Co. Ltd.), Mr. Zhou Jian (CEO of China Textile City Group (Zhejiang)), Mr. Hu Jia (President of Guangzhou FIRMLY Environment Science and Technology Co., Ltd;), Mr. Shu Liang (President of Xi’an Zhongyang Electric Corporation), Mr. Liu Yongzheng (CEO of Wuhu Best New Energy Development Co.,Ltd), Mr. Yang Yi (President of Shanghai Delco Electronics and Instrumentation Co., Ltd.), Mr. Hou Yongbiao (President of Renta Century International Group), Mr. Huang Tengqi (President of Xinlianxin Group Co. Ltd.), Mr. Zhang Guoping (President of Shengda Group) and Mr. Zhao Zhangfu (President of Zhejiang CIFU Group Co.,Ltd).


The launching Ceremony of “SME Global EZPath Program” became a highlight of the Expo. Under the principles of the Shanghai Manifesto on Global SME Cooperation, the EZPath Program, jointly promoted by GASME, GBDN, APSMECC, the US Global Supply Chain Alliance, USCEA, the MeetChinaBiz Organization, the Europe-China Commercial Union Cosmetic Committee (ECCUCC), and China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), aims to pave the way for SMEs to gain the global access to finance, trade, technology, branding, and other business opportunities to bring about their rapid, healthy and sustainable development. China, as the country with the most SMEs in the world, and the only one simultaneously undergoing both development and transformation, is in the position of being able to set a great example to other emerging economies as to how to transform and upgrade its industries with the help of GASME. This is what drove GASME to pioneer its EZPath Program in China. More than 1,000 Chinese SMEs will be selected for the EZPath Program, some of which are expected to emerge as cutting-edge manufacturers within the international market.


The signing ceremony for “Global Industry Cluster Cooperation Center” also took place during the Expo. GASME respectively established the “Global Liquor Industry Co-op Center” with the Yibin Municipal Government (Sichuan), the “Global Industry Cluster Cooperation Center for Fine Chemicals” with the Taixing Municipal Government (Jiangsu), and “Global Textile Trade Center” with Zhejiang China Textile City. Investment environment introduction and proposals of investment projects were presented by Wu Guanglei, Mayor of Yibin, Gao Yazi, Mayor of Taixing City and Zhou Rusheng, Director of the Management Committee of Zhejiang China Textile City


To assist China in building more potential cutting-edge companies, GASME is launching a number of research and development and production bases in China. The unveiling ceremony for the first group of these bases, presided over by Mr. Carlos Magarinos, was held at Shanghai Galaxy Hotel in the afternoon of June 22, 2010.


During the concurrent China-Foreign Investment Matchmaking event, fruitful dialogue was held on the topic of international investment, trade and technology co-operations between Chinese and foreign enterprises. So far, more than 200 cooperation agreements have been inked, representing deal value over USD $200 million.