The ASEAN-China (Shandong) SMEs Conference for cooperation and development is held on Aug 4 in Dezhou, Shandong province. [Photo by Liu Zhenxing/Dezhou Daily]

The ASEAN-China (Shandong) SMEs Conference for cooperation and development was held on Aug 4 in Dezhou, East China's Shandong province.

The event was designed to help reap the opportunities brought about by the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP accord - with China and Asia-Pacific nations signing up as member states - and to deepen exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN countries under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Over 180 guests - including government officials, ambassadors of ASEAN countries to China and representatives from companies and business associations - took part.

The conference was told that small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs were important to every household and were a vital force to advance innovation, facilitate employment and improve people's lives.

That's according to Shi Zhongjun, secretary-general of the ASEAN-China Center.

Shi noted that China and ASEAN countries were good partners with a shared future - and in recent years their economic and trade exchanges had become increasingly close.

"This conference, focusing on SME cooperation and development, is of great significance," Shi added.

"It will help more SMEs participate in international economic and trade cooperation and inject more momentum into the economic development of ASEAN countries as well as China," he said.

At the opening ceremony, seven economic, trade and cultural cooperation projects were signed. The China-ASEAN Traditional Chinese Medicine Exchange and Cooperation Center (Dezhou) and the Landmark City-ASEAN Pavilion were also unveiled.

In recent years, Shandong is said to have attached great importance to strengthing exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN countries. Last year, the province's trade with ASEAN surged to 659.06 billion yuan ($91.42 billion), an increase of 53.1 percent year-on-year.

At present, 28 enterprises from ASEAN have invested in Dezhou and in turn the city has eight of its enterprises with operations in ASEAN. In 2022, Dezhou and ASEAN generated a combined trade value of 11.52 billion yuan, representing an impressive year-on-year increase of 65.8 percent.