Government officials, academics and other experts in their fields attended the second annual conference on joint studies of the Portuguese-speaking Countries, held in Beijing, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government-run news agency says they discussed opportunities for development of the lusophone world offered by the Chinese Belt and Road initiative, trends in the development of the Portuguese-speaking Countries, and the function of Macao as a place where China and the Portuguese-speaking world can conduct business.

The report quotes the Deputy Director General of the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Kang Wen, as telling the conference that many countries, including lusophone countries, praise the initiative, which will create opportunities for international co-operation.

The Chinese University of International Business and Economics’ Research Centre of China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, the Brazilian Institute of Chinese and Asian-Pacific Studies and the International Institute of Macao jointly arranged the conference, Xinhua says.