**Abstract**
Over 600 Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), each paying an entrance fee of more than 20,000 yuan, participated in the Boao Forum for Asia 2013 SME Forum. Among them were a group of determined entrepreneurs who wanted to make the most of their three-day experience. They actively engaged with Chinese and foreign government officials and trade promotion agencies during the event, seeking support for the internationalization of their businesses.
Faced with numerous challenges related to expanding overseas, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce expressed their commitment to introducing new policies to help SMEs navigate the global market. They emphasized the importance of providing guidance and support to ensure that these companies could successfully go abroad.
**SMEs "Seeking Help"**
On the afternoon of January 18, Duan Qiyun arrived early at the venue, sitting in the front row of a sub-forum focused on China-ASEAN trade. His goal was clear: to meet the speakers on stage and gain insights into potential opportunities. As the general manager of Baoshan Blu-ray New Energy Development Co., Ltd. in Yunnan, he planned to invest in Laos to produce LED lights, taking advantage of the country’s low labor costs—Lao workers earned around 250 yuan per month, compared to 2,500 yuan in China. However, he was concerned about tariff barriers. If products made in Myanmar had to be exported back to China or sent to Cambodia, high tariffs could make the business unprofitable.
Duan hoped to meet the Laotian Commercial Counsellor in China, Kanban Shengtongna, to address his concerns and also asked Liu Ping, deputy director of the Customs Office, about how to use the ASEAN Free Trade Area’s tariff preferences.
Duan wasn’t alone. On the evening of January 17, while many delegates dined, Fu Yonglie, president of Liaoning Renbang Group, organized an English-language press conference aimed at attracting interest from ASEAN officials. He promoted his cement products and manufacturing equipment, though he skipped the Q&A session. His target audience wasn’t the media but key business officials from ASEAN countries in China. Fu was planning to invest in ASEAN and needed local government and embassy support, so he used the event to demonstrate his commitment.
Compared to Fu’s direct approach, another businessman from Changshu took a more sophisticated route. He managed to secure a meeting with the first Russian former Prime Minister, Nikolaevich, to discuss cooperation and have his products represented in Russia by another company.
These efforts highlighted the limited internationalization capabilities of many SMEs, as they sought government backing before making major investments. Fu had visited several projects in Mongolia, Vietnam, and Indonesia but hesitated due to a lack of official endorsement.
**Government Departments "Helping Out"**
Tang Jiqiang, director of the Chengdu National High-tech Zone Development Planning Bureau, shared his experience in supporting SMEs’ international expansion. Many of the thousands of software firms in the zone engage in overseas outsourcing, and they are high-tech SMEs with dozens to hundreds of employees.
Tang emphasized that the core advantage of the high-tech zone lies in its excellent government services. SMEs going abroad often face complex administrative procedures, which can be overwhelming for small businesses. The high-tech zone helps streamline these processes efficiently.
He gave the example of Nibbi, a company that developed the popular game “Galaxy Empire†on Apple’s App Store. After surpassing “Angry Birds†on the leaderboard, the company faced foreign exchange control issues. Employees couldn’t pay their wages, despite large revenues in their Hong Kong accounts. The high-tech zone eventually coordinated with government departments like the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to resolve the issue.
In response to the various challenges raised by SMEs at the forum, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce reaffirmed their commitment to helping SMEs expand internationally.
Yu Jianhua, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, announced the establishment of a special fund to assist SMEs in exploring foreign markets. He encouraged them to leverage e-commerce and improve access to financing. The ministry will also provide subsidies for financial guarantees to support SMEs in international trade.
In terms of international cooperation, the Ministry of Commerce is promoting the creation of overseas economic cooperation zones to help Chinese SMEs go global. It plans to expand these efforts through multilateral organizations such as BRICS and APEC, as well as bilateral channels, to build more platforms for SMEs to exchange ideas and create new business opportunities in fields like new energy, green technology, and service outsourcing.
Le Yucheng, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, offered additional advice for SMEs looking to internationalize. He recommended strengthening market research, improving security measures, fostering collaboration with local chambers and associations, and focusing on public relations. He also urged SMEs to adopt a win-win approach, give back to local communities, and avoid actions that might harm local employment.
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