About 30 of the world's Fortune 500 companies attended the second dialog with APEC SMEs held in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao on Friday.

    Sponsored by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the forum is a part of the fifth APEC SME Technology Conference and Fair.

    Liu Tienan, vice-minister of the NDRC, said "the forum has played an active role in promoting the cooperation and development of both sides by building an exchange bridge between SMEs and big multinationals".

    With the theme of "Technology and Innovation Boosting the Development of SMEs", the forum also featured high-profile exchanges on technology and innovation-powered development as well as the environment, sustainable development and the challenges SMEs face in an era of higher costs.

    "The forum provides an opportunity for SMEs to learn from advanced expertise in big companies, which will boost their healthy development," said Qiu Hong, assistant to the minister of commerce.

    Representatives from famous companies from home and abroad including IBM, GE, Gome, Best Buy, Sony, and Yili Group participated in the forum and gave talks on a range of SME subjects including technology, innovation, application of information technology and financing.

    Zhao Hong, relationship officer of the Qingdao branch of HSBC Bank (China) Co Ltd said "the forum will let us know more about what SMEs need, then we can provide them with best services".

    Other forums to be held include the fifth APEC SME Services Alliance Forum and the Forum on Energy Saving and Pollution Control.