5 November, 2012 --- The 5th China-Africa Experience-Sharing Program on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Financing and Inclusive Growth, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP), and the World Bank (WB), organized by IPRCC and co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), was opened in Beijing. Zheng Xiaosong, Assistant Minister of MOF, Zheng Wenkai, Deputy Director of LGOP, Luo Hong, Deputy Secretary of Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO), Wu Zhuojin, Chief Economist for WB’s China, Mongolia and Korea Department, Steven Sakey, UNDP China Country Deputy Director addressed the opening ceremony.

Themed on “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Financing and Inclusive Growth”, this program will set the stage for discussions on the following topics: developing MSME financing and promoting inclusive growth; creating a sound policy environment conducive to MSME financing; strengthening financial infrastructure for MSMEs; encouraging MSME innovation and financing cooperation.

In his speech, Zheng Xiaosong said that MSMEs are an important force for boosting development, employment and household income. The Chinese government has attached great importance to the development and financing of MSMEs, introduced a series of policies to improve their financing environment, and achieved positive results. China is willing to share its experience with other developing countries, strengthen South-South knowledge cooperation to further improve the financing environment.

Zheng Wenkai said in his speech that the theme of this program is of practical significance to helping developing countries refine their development strategies, improve their capabilities, and notably cope with current difficulties. The Chinese government has taken financial poverty reduction as a core part of rural poverty alleviation and development system, and also integrated it into the large strategic landscape combining specific poverty reduction, sectoral support and social poverty reduction. In the future, China will firmly seize the opportunity of the developing world economy, give full play to the advantages of MSMEs, innovate their mode and expand their space of development so as to vigorously advance experience and knowledge-sharing, deepen exchanges and cooperation in the field of poverty alleviation and achieve common progress and prosperity.

Since 2008, the China-Africa Experience-Sharing Program has been held for four sessions, and gained fruitful achievements. It has served as a critical platform for enhancing the mutual exchanges and discussions on development issues between China and Africa and promoting the South-South knowledge cooperation.

About 80 people were invited to attend the conference, including senior government officials from Burundi, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Nigeria and Malaysia, senior representatives of international organizations such as WB, International Finance Corporation, UNDP, and others from domestic ministries and commissions, financial and scientific institutions. During this program, participants will go on a field trip to Anhui province to learn about the status quo of MSME financing and development.