On 10 June, the EU SME Centre and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, with the support of the Chongqing CCPIT, co-organised the EU SME Government Dialogue in Chongqing. The event brought together government stakeholders, experts and European industry leaders and aimed to explore policies, regulations, and best practices for SME success in China.
Dr Jin Tieying from the China Centre for Promotion of SME Development provided an overview of the Centre’s latest SME Development Environment Report. He emphasised that SMEs remain a vital force in economic development, with continuous refinement of the policy and regulatory framework. While eastern cities lead in SME development environment rankings, other regions are rapidly catching up.
Mr Liu Qunsheng from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology outlined local SME development initiatives across four pillars: enterprise cultivation, policy guidance, innovation enhancement, and factor empowerment.
Ms Ester Cañada Amela from the EU SME Centre presented various survey findings on corporate sentiment toward China’s business environment and highlighted four key policy priorities for SMEs: access to financing and reduced financial burdens, streamlined administrative procedures, and protection of SME rights (late payments & IPR).
During the panel discussion, four experts shared their experiences operating in the Chinese market, best practices and recommendations to government stakeholders, stressing that SMEs must identify their unique competitive advantages and maintain resilience.
