Distinguished guests, 

Partners and friends, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to welcome you to UNDP’s fifth annual celebration of MSME Day in China.

Over the past five years, this platform has brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, development partners, and researchers to explore a shared question:  

How can we better support MSMEs to contribute to sustainable development?

This year, under the theme of “Building Future-Ready MSMEs: Enabling Ecosystems for Inclusive, Green and Digital Growth,” we have an opportunity not only to continue that conversation, but also to reflect on how the context for MSME development is changing rapidly here in China and globally.

Across the world, businesses are navigating profound transitions:  

• Digital technologies and AI are reshaping markets and business models.
• Climate change is driving the shift towards greener production and consumption.  
• Demographic changes, evolving consumer expectations, and global economic uncertainties are redefining competitiveness.

In this changing landscape, the question is no longer simply how to help MSMEs grow.

The question is how to support MSMEs to become ‘future-ready'.

This means MSMEs that can adapt to technological change, respond to emerging risks, embrace sustainability, and create opportunities for others.  

They are businesses that not only contribute to economic growth, but also strengthen resilience, promote inclusion, and support long-term development.

With MSMEs accounting for over 50% of global GDP – this transformation is critical in efforts to reignite progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – our shared blueprint to safeguard people and planet by 2030.

But building such enterprises requires more than entrepreneurial spirit alone.  

It requires an enabling ecosystem – one that connects policy, finance, technology, skills, markets, and partnerships.

Here in China, over the last five years, UNDP, CICETE, and Duxiaoman, have worked to do just that.  

Together, we have explored how digital innovation, inclusive finance, entrepreneurship support, rural revitalization, and sustainable development can create new opportunities for MSMEs.  

Specifically, the project has supported pilot counties in upgrading "Digital Industrial Service Platforms" to bridge the digital divide, effectively connecting MSMEs with industrial information and financial services.

Allow me to share two examples of the development results.  

• To date, it has unlocked 146 million RMB in financial resources, benefiting over 7,000 rural MSMEs and farmers.  
• Nearly 100 training sessions have been held across 7 pilot areas, reaching around 10,000 rural MSME owners and farmers, including nearly 4,000 women beneficiaries.

Throughout our shared journey, one lesson stands out clearly: sustainable MSME development is not achieved through a single policy, programme, or institution. It depends on collaboration.  

Progress happens when governments, financial institutions, businesses, development partners, academia, youth, local communities and entrepreneurs work together to remove barriers and unlock opportunities, and proactively embrace technological innovation.

As this event marks the final year of our joint five-year project, I want take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to our partners, for the collective efforts over the years.  

To achieve the aspirations are outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals globally and the ambitions outlined in the 15th Five Year Plan in China, we have much more to do.  

I want to thank the distinguished speakers and panelists that have joined us for this event today who will share with us the experiences, best practices, insights on overcoming the challenges faced.  

I would also like to thank all participants for your continued commitment to supporting MSMEs and advancing sustainable development.

As we look ahead, this spirit of partnership will become increasingly important.

Whether supporting women entrepreneurs, empowering young innovators, expanding opportunities in rural communities, or helping enterprises navigate green and digital transitions, our collective task is to ensure that the benefits of development are accessible to all and we leave no one behind.

I hope today's discussions will help generate new ideas, strengthen partnerships, and inspire practical actions that enable MSMEs to thrive in an increasingly complex world.

I wish you a productive and inspiring event.

Thank you.