Trade associations in the mainland and Macao should boost ties to promote greater co-operation with the Portuguese-speaking Countries, says China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) president Jiang Zengwei.

Mr Jiang’s comments, in a statement released by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), come after a recent meeting between trade representatives in Macao.

IPIM says the participants at the Joint Meeting of Mainland China and Macao Trade Associations 2016 were guided by measures announced by Premier Li Keqiang to foster Macao’s reputation as a mediation centre for trade issues between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries.

CCPIT will soon establish a representative office in Macao, according to the IPIM statement.