Expo Special: Ecuador's hopes high for SME fair

Co-hosting the China International Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Fair will be an opportunity to boost business ties between China and Ecuador, said Mariella Molina, consul general of Ecuador in Guangzhou.

"It will be a big moment for officials and businesspeople from Ecuador to participate in the upcoming fair, where they will meet their Chinese counterparts. And I do believe it will be a beginning of a greater economic and trade relationship between the two sides," Molina said.

Co-hosted by Ecuador and Vietnam, the annual SME fair is being held from Sept 22 to 25 in Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong province.

According to organizers, Ecuador has planned to set up an exhibition area of 1,000 square meters for such industries as aquatic products, agricultural products, handicrafts and wood products.

Vietnam will have an exhibition area of 3,000 sq m focusing on agricultural products, food processing, daily necessities, furniture, handicrafts, wood, environmental protection and energy conservation, alternative energy equipment, and machinery.

"Our exhibition is very bold in using the bright and sharp colors, which are the best tools to demonstrate the vibrancy of our land, the passion of our people and the diversity of our natural products," Molina said.

Ecuador established official diplomatic relations with China in the 1980s and ever since the two governments have maintained a stable and friendly relationship, Molina said.

"However, most Chinese people still know very little about Ecuador," said Molina.

According the Central Bank of Ecuador, trade between China and Ecuador hit some $1.7 billion in the first seven months this year, a year-on-year increase of 54.5 percent.

Ecuador's exports to China accounted for $236 million, a small fraction of the trade volume during that period.

To have a strong showing at this year's event, Ecuador has organized a contingent of 35 industrial leaders from various sectors in which the South American country is highly competitive.

The Ecuadorian products and industries in the spotlight at the fair include banana, cocoa, coffee, processed food, wood, fresh flowers, frozen shrimp and fish, handicrafts, hand-made hats, and tourism.

"For many of them, it will the first time to display their high-quality products in China. In other words, it will also be the first time for many Chinese to see, to know and to taste those fantastic exotic products from afar," she said.

Molina said it was a tremendous opportunity for Ecuador to display its culture and products on an international platform. She said the government of her country has been working closely with local officials to promote the event since the two countries agreed to co-host the fair in April.

The annual fair, which aims to better promote development of small and medium-sized enterprises, will have a series of matchmaking events, seminars and exchanges to improve SMEs.

More than 3,000 enterprises from 34 countries and regions, with more than 80,000 professional buyers, attended the fair's last session in 2011, which was co-hosted by Thailand.

Contact the writer at qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn.