IPIM participated in the 22nd Asian Trade Promotion Forum in Xiamen

Ms. Echo Chan, Executive Director of IPIM participated in the 22nd Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) in Xiamen, China from 23 to 24 April. The Forum was organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and attended by representatives from trade promotion organisations from 15 economic regions in Asia including Australia, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Chaired by the Vice Chairman of CCPIT, Mr. Yu Ping, the theme of the 22nd ATPF was “TPO Synergy against Financial Crisis” and participating TPO members gave presentations on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis” and “Trade in Service”. Ms. Echo Chan gave a keynote presentation on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis – New Challenges, New Strategies” at the Forum. She said that being the trade promotion organization in Macao, there are several ways to assist enterprise during the Financial Crisis, these are: 1. Join promotion in emerging market; (2) Updated market information and broaden network; (3) Strengthen the effectiveness of exhibition through establishment of Partner fair/join exhibition; (4) Promote convention and exhibition, cultivate new industries benefit to SMEs; (5) Create markets and seize new opportunities. TPO members from different regions also engaged in discussions and experience-sharing on various topics. Australia, China, South Korea and Taipei shared their solutions during the financial crisis while Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand introduced their latest regulations on trade in services. To conclude, APTF members felt that dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual trust is a better way to recover from this financial crisis. Therefore, ATPF being a trade enabling body will play a more proactive role in regional economic recovery through promoting trade activities. The meeting ended on 24 Apr and the 23rd ATPF Annual Meeting will be held by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency next year. ATPF was founded by the Japan External Trade Organization in 1987. Its members come from different trade promotion organizations in Asian countries. It aims to enhance communications and regional cooperation between its trade promotion members. IPIM is the member of ATPF since 1999 and organized the 19th ATPF meeting in 2006. Aside the annual meeting, the Capacity Initiative Building Program and the ATPF Joint Exhibition are the activities aims to strengthen the cooperation and communication between all the TPO’s member. CCPIT and IPIM hold the Capacity Initiative Building Program last year together, provide training and experience-sharing with all TPO’s members. Besides, IPIM also participated the ATPF Joint Exhibition in the International Gift Fair in Tokyo last year. The upcoming ATPF Joint Exhibition will be held next year.