Beijing, June 3 (People's Daily Online) — The trade of Geographical Indication (GI) products offers a golden opportunity for the development of China's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) , Bruno Masier, President of World Trade Point Federation (WTPF), told People Daily Online at the International Symposium on Geographical Indications Product Brand Distribution Service on May 31, 2014.

Hosted by WTPF, the symposium is an indispensable part of the 3rd China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services.

A geographical indication is a sign or name used by some products that correspond to a specific geographical location or origin. Bruno said there is huge potential for cooperation as to the "going-out" and "bringing-in" of GI products.

Developing GI products is a good way to help China's SMEs to develop themselves and make them more competitive, Bruno said. He explained that a competitive product possesses many factors including quality, procedures and history. The factors such as history add value to the brand of a product. GI products are competitive because the product possess certain quality and are made according to traditional methods, or enjoy a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin. WTPF focuses on helping SMEs to develop, especially those from developing countries and pays attention to the development of China's SMEs.

Bruno also said it is necessary to protect GI products for governments. In fact, China's government attaches importance to the protection of GI products. In 1990, China began to protect the product of origin. As of September 2009, China State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection for Quarantine had implemented the special protection of 932 GI products.

The symposium aims at helping Chinese enterprises with GI products enter international market, introducing international brands of high-quality GI products and improving the internationalization degree of the domestic market. Bruno also said that such international symposium was significant because enterprises can promote their products on this occasion.

Three contracts worth 6.02 billion yuan were signed at the symposium. This symposium will become an important platform for increasing the international influence of Chinese brands with the products of GI and promoting the protection of GI products.

Bruno added that WTPF would join Beijing ZHONGYIHANWEI Culture Communication, the organizer of the symposium, to help China's enterprises conduct trade talks abroad with foreign counterparts. This conforms to China's strategy of "going out".