The fifth APEC SME (small and medium enterprises) Technology Conference and Fair will launch in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, on May 30, a senior economic planner said here on Tuesday.

The four-day fair, sponsored by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), will feature forums, business negotiations and technology exchanges on environmental protection, energy saving and pollution reduction.

The forums include Dialogue between APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) SMEs and World Fortune 500 companies, the fifth APEC SMEs Services Alliance Forum, and the Forum on Energy Saving and Pollution Cuts.

It will also exhibit a range of goods, including auto parts, energy saving and recycling products, new construction materials, food processing equipment and electronic products.

More than 200 companies and 100 business groups are expected to attend the fair themed "technology boost promoting economy through technology and creating future through cooperation".

Ma Liqiang, an official with the NDRC, said cooperation among SMEs from APEC members would play an active role in creating jobs and promoting economic and social development in the Asia Pacific region.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2008)