Overseas exhibitors will occupy over 1,230 booths at the upcoming 5th edition of China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair (CISMEF), an official said last week.

From September 22 through 25, the non-profit-making fair to promote exchanges and co-operation between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) home and abroad will see exhibiting firms from more than 30 countries and regions worldwide, He Zuoxian, director of the fair's organizing committee, who is responsible for overseas promotion of the fair, said during a seminar in Guangzhou last week.

According to He, South Korea, a co-sponsor of the fair this year, will send a delegation of over 250 exhibiting firms from a wide range of industries: agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, foodstuff, medical appliances, cosmetics chemical, mechanics, electronics and information, electrical appliance, daily necessity, textiles and fiber, as well as design. The exhibitors will take up more than 550 booths.

The South Korean delegation will also include about 5,000 professional buyers.

He said the organizing committee of the fair will set up an exhibition pavilion for members of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) for the first time and the pavilion is expected to be a new highlight at the event.

Around 20 of the 45 ASEM members will seek the opportunity to promote their own products, investment climate and trade opportunities and those of other members, who do not have a booth at the fair. They will be promoting their investment climate and trade opportunities.

"Many overseas delegations, including Indonesia, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, the United States, Greece, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Portugal, Malaysia and Norway, will make good use of the platform," He said.

And the organizing committee has made a point of inviting the world's top 500 companies and top 2,000 listed companies to the fair to maximize the effectiveness of the fair.

About 10,000 overseas business people have confirmed their presence at the fair up to date.

"The number of overseas buyers is growing day by day," he noted.

The fair is jointly sponsored by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, China Banking Regulatory Commission and the provincial government of Guangdong.

France co-sponsored the 2nd edition of the annual event, Italy the 3rd and Japan the 4th.