国际英语新闻：APEC ministerial meeting opens to address growth of small, midsize companies

GIFU, Japan, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Ministers and senior officials of small and medium-sized enterprises from Pacific Rim economies gathered in the central Japanese city of Gifu on Saturday to seek ways to boost growth of such companies amid global economic recovery.

The meeting is a timely event as the small and medium-sized (SMEs) are recovering from one of the worst economic recession in decades, said Muhamad Noor Yacob, executive director of APEC Secretariat, at the opening ceremony.

Akihiro Ohata, minister of Japan's ministry of economy trade and industry, will play the chair of the two-day meeting, which has drawn representatives including Zhu Hongren, chief engineer of China's ministry of industry and information technology.

Under the theme of "Strategy for reinvigorating economic growth with the dual engines of SMEs and the Asia-Pacific Economies", the 21 APEC member countries and regions will discuss how SMEs can play a role to boost regional growth.

Different countries and regions are also expected to share their respective measures to help the development of SMEs at the meeting.

The end of the meeting will see a joint statement on enhancing growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in the medium to long terms.

The meeting is part of a series of ministerial meetings ahead of the November APEC summit in Yokohama, Japan.