To better carry out the preparatory work for the 5th China International Small and Medium Enterprise Fair and the concurrent China-Korea Small and Medium Enterprise Fair (hereinafter referred to as "the 5th CISMEF"), Secretariat of Organizing Committee of the 5th CISMEF held a national liaison officers conference in Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province on August 15, 2008. Mr. Zheng Xin, deputy director general of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Mr. Qi Zhenli, party group member & inspector of Guangdong Provincial Economy & Trade Commission, attended the meeting and made a speech. And they also briefed the attendants on the latest situation about preparatory work of the 5th CISMEF. On this conference, the related preparatory work got to exchange and joint. Representatives from various provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and cities with separate budgets from the central finance, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, National Development and Reform Commission, Economic and Trade Commission (Economic Commission), SME bureau (Hall, Office), as well as officials from Guangdong's every economic and trade bureau at prefecture level or above (Economic Commission, Trade and Industry Bureau), SME bureau, attended the meeting.

Zheng Xin put forward some requirements about preparatory work for the 5th CISMEF: First, attached great importance to preparatory work of the 5th CISMEF. The CISMEF was a platform for promoting exchanges and cooperation among SMEs. China paid more attention to the CISMEF, and the opening ceremonies of all previous fairs had national leaders attend. Second, emphasized on implementing and did a good job in recruiting exhibitors. This year, due to a series of natural disasters and institutional reforms and other reasons, we must take every possible means to overcome difficulties, and tried our best to make it became a high-level and remarkable show. Third, elaborately planned and carefully organized, and did a good job in various matching activities. Besides every liaison officer must do well the recruiting exhibitors'work, you also must continue to carry out the relevant activities you will attend in the Expo. Fourth, did well safety guard work to ensure security and stability. The 5th CISMEF possessed the characteristics of having multiple nations, multiple booths, and multiple guests, and these indeed inspired us. But, at the same time, this Fair brought forward a higher demand to us in the security work. Did well in the security guard and ensured fair and participants' safety were the prerequisite and basic guarantee of our all work. Fifth, maintained good mental status to insure the fair to get a complete success. The CISMEF had gradually to become an international platform for "display, trade, exchange, cooperation," among SMEs. At the same time, it was an important platform to publicize every regional economic development of China, and laid out enterprises' brand and image. We would like to show China's enterprises, products, and development success to ASEM members, also the whole world.

Qi Zhenli briefed the participants on the latest situation about preparatory work of the 5th CISMEF on this meeting. He said that the Party Central Committee and the State Council had been giving the loving care and close attention to the CISMEF. After adjust the functions of the State Council's institutions, the Ministry of industry and information technology became a new one of the organizers, and the National Development and Reform Commission was still one of the jointly sponsors. In this way, the sponsors of the CISMEF changed from original "six ministries and one province," to present "seven ministries and one province". They included Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, China Banking Regulatory Commission, and People's Government of Guangdong Province. Guangdong provincial communist party committee and province government attached great importance to the fair, provincial leaders personally organized the work, and held a number of meetings on the deployment. Relevant departments of Guangdong provincial preparatory office, accorded to the division of responsibilities, had been taking positive action, closely cooperating, and sparing no efforts to prepare the 5th CISMEF.

As reported, up to August 13, the 5th CISMEF had identified total 4608 booths, and accounted for 92.02 percent of the total number of booths. Promisingly, enterprises from over 30 countries and regions will attend this fair. Korea, the country of honor in 5th CISMEF, had made notable achievements in recruiting exhibitors, and confirmed more than 200 companies to participate in this exhibition. Last year's ASEM SMEs Ministerial Meeting had decided that during the annual CISMEF in each September, a free "Hall for ASEM SMEs Cooperation and Exchange" would be set up. At present, there were more than 20 ASEM member countries had entered for the fair, and about 500 booths had been identified. Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States, Cuba, and other ASEM member countries and countries outside the region had identified more than 100 booths. Domestic industry area total had implemented 2426 booths. In addition to, special pavilion serviced for SMEs had also made great progress. The retail chain enterprises had identified 100 booths; Financial service area was undertaken by the Guangdong Provincial Banking Regulatory Bureau this year, and was expected to implement 176 booths; Logistics leading enterprises area was planned to recruit 228 Booths; SME service area had recruited 336 booths, the three major telecommunication companies, Alibaba, and other business giants had promised to present in the area. Korea attached great importance to recruit exhibitors, and expressed positively they will organize relevant professional businessmen to attend this fair enthusiastically, and jointed with the every exhibitor. During the Expo, an activity named "Korea Day" will be held, and Wal-Mart China Co., Ltd., Lotus Supermarket Chain Co., Ltd., BP-PetroChina Fuels JV, Guangdong Galanz Group Co., Ltd., Zhuhai Gree Group, Panasonic Electric (China) Co., Ltd., Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd., China Vanguard Supermarket Co., Ltd., and other large number of well-known enterprises will attend and negotiate purchase. The other preparatory work of the 5th CISMEF was also pushed out with a solid and orderly manner.

After the meeting, the representatives of the every unit carried out exchanges and joint with Secretariat of the 5th CISMEF on relevant preparatory work.

More than 30 days was available till the opening of the 5th CISMEF, all preparatory work was in a crucial moment at present. The organizing committee said that they will go all out to do well the preparatory work, race against time, pay great attention to implement, closely coordinate, full cooperate, show new bright spots and the new features of the 5th CISMEF, and make joint efforts to ensure the 5th CISMEF wonderfully, successfully, ardently, and satisfactorily!