| On April 23, 2009, the 22nd Annual Conference of the Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) was held in Xiamen. 50 leaders and representatives of the Asian trade promotion organizations from 15 economies including Japan, Australia, Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia, China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan etc. gathered and discussed the cohesive force of Asian trade promotion organizations under the financial crisis and exchanged experiences on trade in services.
Vice-chairman Yu Ping said that as Asia's most representative and most influential trade promotion agencies union, the Asian Trade Promotion Forum should pay close attention to the issues related to financial crisis, actively explore a way out and form a cohesive force to help the business sector in their region to tide over the crisis, reflecting the value of trade promotion agencies. He called on focusing on the role of trade promotion agency under the new situation, and discussing how to intensify efforts to promote foreign trade, how to tap the potential of trade in services as well as how to promote economies branding to better in line with the government to reverse the trend of economic recession.
Japanese Trade Reviving Organization Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said in the speech that Asian trade promotion agencies should work together to help enterprises in their regions out of the difficulties. The traditional trade projects are major concerns in the past, such as manufacturing, light industry and so on; however, the 3rd industry is playing an increasingly important role for both the developed economies and developing economies. He called to pay enough attention to trade in services and promote the development of trade in services by improving infrastructure, promoting free trade, opposing trade protectionism and other measures.
Xiamen Municipal Government provides great support to this activity. Mayor Liu Fugui, Deputy Mayor Huang Ling etc. attended the event. Mayor Liu said at the opening ceremony that countries and regions all over the world participate in the development process of Xiamen, and now Xiamen has trade relationship with more than 200 countries. He expressed the hope that all the guests could come to Xiamen once again, attend the annual China International Fair for Investment and Trade, and make use of this platform to seek business opportunities.
This annual meeting also produced special " A survey report of trade promotion organizations joining hands to respond to the financial crisis" and " Asian best case of trade promotion organizations work " ,analyzing economic situation and collecting the best cases of trade promotion work to provide a solution to resist the economic crisis.
During the meeting, Xiamen Daily, Xiamen Evening News, Ta Kung Pao, Xiamen Business, Xiamen television and other media reported on the meeting, and made an exclusive interview for Vice-chairman Yu Ping, CEO of the Australian Trade Commission, Mr. Auburn, Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank Brooks, as well as the principal leaders of trade promotion agencies from Thailand, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan etc.
ATPF was founded in 1987, its members include trade promotion agencies of 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific region, and those agencies enjoy a higher influence in the region and the Asia-Pacific business community.
In addition to representatives from the Asian trade promotion agencies, 56 leaders from 20 local branches of CCPIT also attended the meeting. | 
