What's coming

Bank of China will host the 2015 US-China Small and Medium Enterprises Investment and Trade Fair in New York City on Sept 28, with the aim of expanding bilateral business exchanges and cooperation.

Nearly 400 "face-to-face matchmaking introductions" will take place between around 200 SMEs from a wide range of sectors, including high technology, medical equipment, agriculture and food, environmental technology and machinery manufacturing.

It will be Bank of China's first cross-border SME matchmaking event held in the United States.

Organizers of the fair said it will promote cross-border partnerships through a "five-step" strategy, where the bank provides an information base, business matching facilities, an online communications platform, and facilities for investigation and future due-diligence if required.

After being matched up, Bank of China's SME services can then provide a comprehensive range of investment and banking services at each stage of business development.

In the past year, the bank has held more than 10 matchmaking events in locations including Milan, Dusseldorf, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Rotterdam, and in Sichuan and Hebei provinces.

The events have attracted more than 7,000 politicians and entrepreneurs, and 5,000 SMEs in sectors including high-end manufacturing, environmental protection, information technology, health, agriculture, machinery, chemicals and automotive industries.

Among the "face to face" matchmakings, more than 1,200 have resulted in actual business relationships being forged.

Bank of China plans further SME Investment and Trade Fairs in Manchester, England, Beijing and Tianjin, and others in different overseas locations next year.

(China Daily 09/23/2015 page12)