Key platforms unveiled to deepen SME cooperation

China stands ready to work with all Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation members to help more small and medium-sized enterprises thrive and grow, Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing said on Friday.

He made the remark in a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the 32nd APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The one-day meeting witnessed the announcement of two major platforms: the Asia-Pacific artificial intelligence empowerment cooperation center for SMEs in Guangzhou and a dedicated SME cooperation zone in Shenzhen, Guangdong.

Zhang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is enhancing its policy support for SMEs and strengthening practical cooperation with APEC economies to jointly boost the high-quality development of such enterprises.

Li Lecheng, minister of industry and information technology, said the two platforms will serve as China's contribution to shared regional prosperity, laying a solid foundation for deepening SME cooperation in the years ahead.

"APEC economies have reached broad agreements. For instance, we agreed that digital and AI empowerment offers a major opportunity for SME upgrading, and economies should accelerate the deployment of 'small, fast, lightweight and precise' digital tools and AI applications in a secure and trustworthy environment," he said.

Li added that inclusiveness is fundamental and, hence, greater attention should be paid to financing access, training and equal opportunities.

According to a report released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, SMEs contribute roughly 70 percent of China's technological innovation, 60 percent of its gross domestic product and 80 percent of its urban employment.

Liang Zhifeng, director-general of the SME bureau at the ministry, said that many SMEs are eager to use AI, but they simply don't know how due to high technical barriers, heavy costs and a shortage of specialized talent. "The AI cooperation center is designed as a practical response to these challenges," Liang said, highlighting that the center will build a comprehensive service platform offering training programs for SME managers and technical personnel and facilitate cross-border industrial collaboration.

"We will promote the exchange of best practices and turn successful experiences into shared resources for all," he added.

Maman Abdurrahman, Indonesia's minister of micro, small and medium enterprises, called the outcomes of the meeting "highly valuable" for his country, which is home to around 60 million MSMEs.

"From this APEC conference, we can get many opportunities ... (to see) how to open our market and make good cooperation between Indonesia and China," he said.

"If Indonesia is happy, China will be happy. And if China is happy, Indonesia will also be happy," he added, expressing optimism about bringing Chinese technology to Indonesia while introducing Indonesian MSME products to the Chinese market.

The Chair's Statement of the 32nd APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting was also issued on Friday, setting out guidelines for APEC economies to deepen SME cooperation in the future.

Li Bing, vice-dean of the National Academy of Development at Sun Yat-sen University, said the international community has growing concerns about AI widening the gap between developed and developing nations.

He noted that China's major AI models have largely adopted the open-source approach, making core technologies directly accessible to developing countries.

Contact the writers at masi@chinadaily.com.cn