As one of the largest regional economic co-operation organizations in the world, APEC has 21 member countries, including China. Chinese leaders have attached great importance to the organization and have attended all the APEC leaders' informal meetings since 1993. The development of and co-operation with SMEs is a serious issue that has attracted the attention of all APEC members. The SME Technology Conference and Fair has become a grand event for the organization. In 1996, the first session was held in Tokyo, Japan, and in 1998, the second session was held in Yantai, China.

The 3rd APEC SME Technology Conference and Fair will highlight Technology Boosts Economy, and Co-Operation Creates Future , with a view towards enhancing economic and trade co-operation and exchange between APEC members and promoting the overall development of SMEs. The meeting will focus on the exhibition and trade of automobiles, chemical products, pharmacy &medical equipment, electronics, home appliances, textiles and garments, handicrafts, building material, environmental protection products and food processing as well as relevant technologies. It will also showcase advanced technologies and products in other supporting industries. The commercial activities will consist of two parts. One part will be devoted to product exhibition and trade talks for international procurement. It will involve 1,000 exhibition stands for domestic and foreign businesses, and more than 150 transnational companies will be participating with an eye towards making procurements. The other part of the commercial activities will be devoted to technical exchanges and forums, which will cover such fields as enterprise information, industrial design, surface repair, water conservation and industrial mold. Celebrated experts, scholars, entrepreneurs, and financiers from APEC countries will be invited to participate in discussions on a whole range of topics such as how to enable SMEs to join the industrial and supply chain of transnational companies, and how to improve financing and guarantees for SMEs. The experts will give foresighted and authoritative lectures on a wide spectrum of issues. Meanwhile, special arrangements will be made for domestic and foreign enterprises, research institutions, colleges, and universities to conduct technical exchanges.