A record number of exhibitors will attend the city's fourth trade fair for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), its organizer said.

The event will involve 3,296 Chinese exhibitors and 1,800 from 27 countries and regions - a record number since it began in 2004, Lin Ying, secretary-general of the fair's organizing committee, said yesterday.

The fourth China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair will be held from Saturday to Tuesday, jointly sponsored by the Chinese and Japanese governments. The China-Japan Small and Medium Enterprises Fair will be held at the same time.

"The event is expected to boost the development of China's SMEs and to set up a platform for them to forge new cooperative ties with their international counterparts," Lin said.

He said the event will include activities such as forums on marketing strategy, fundraising channels and State policies on SMEs, and training for executives.

Extra halls will be provided for exhibitors including chain stores, financial service providers, Chinese brands, intellectual property rights promotion, electronic and IT products, machinery, textiles, shoes, luggage, toys and building materials, he said.

The fair is an important opportunity for Japan's SMEs to boost their presence in China, said Mitsuhiro Yokota, director-general of the Japan External Trade Organization's Guangzhou representative office.

The Japanese delegation will include 482 exhibitors and over 6,000 visitors.

(China Daily September 11 2007)