The launch ceremony of the Economic and Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal Between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries took place on April 1, 2015, at the Lotus Room on the 5th floor of the World Trade Center. The Portal is available at www.platformchinaplp.mo.
The event guests included: Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government, Mr Leong Vai Tac; Deputy Director General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Mr Yao Jian; Representative of Portuguese-speaking Countries, Ambassador André Panzo; Deputy Director General of the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Sun Tong; President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Mr Jackson Chang; and Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation Between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao), Mr Chang Hexi.
Both the President of IPIM, Mr Jackson Chang, and the Representative of Portuguese-speaking Countries, Ambassador André Panzo, delivered speeches during the launch ceremony on the importance of the new Portal. IPIM Executive Director, Ms Irene Lau, explained the work of the Portal to the attendees.
Some background to the establishment of the Portal is as follows. During the 4th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macao, held in November 2013 in Macao, the Vice-Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Wang Yang, announced on behalf of the People’s Republic of China, eight new measures to support the development of Portuguese-speaking Countries. One of the measures announced involved the use of Macao as a specialised platform to promote information exchange on bilingual professionals and to promote business co-operation in various fields.
Also, as mentioned in the Strategic Plan for Economic and Trade Co-operation of the 4th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macao (2014-2016), adopted during the November 2013 conference, the Participating Countries agreed, unanimously, to study the establishment in Macao of: a Services Centre for Small and Medium-Enterprises from the Participating Countries; a Convention and Exhibition Centre for Economic and Trade Co-operation between the Participating Countries; and a Distribution Centre for Food Products from Portuguese-speaking Countries.
These three centres aim to promote trade co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. They benefit from an online Portal enabling visitors to get information on these initiatives.
The Economic and Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal project was launched by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and by the Secretariat for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government, and was coordinated by IPIM. Forum Macao is the special co-operation organisation for this project.
The Portal also has the support of several Ministries and government bodies. Those include trade promotion agencies of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, appointed as official co-operation organisations.
The role of the Economic and Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal
The Portal is a tool for economic and trade co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, providing information including: a database of bilingual professionals fluent in Chinese and Portuguese; economic and trade data; and information on food products from Portuguese-speaking Countries. By using the Portal, companies can conveniently have access to relevant information about China and Portuguese-speaking countries, can interact with other firms and explore new business opportunities.
The Portal also provides updated information on conventions and exhibitions taking place in China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and information on trade legislation.
The ‘Bilingual Professional Services and Personnel Database’ provides information gathered by several bodies in China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. The University of Macau, Macao Polytechnic Institute, the Instituto Português do Oriente (IPOR) and the Macau University of Science and Technology are supporting organisations for this database. Several chambers of commerce and business associations are industrial co-operation organisations for the project.
Currently, the database includes information for the areas of translation, conventions and exhibitions, public relations, banking and public works.
Distribution Centre for Food Products from Portuguese Speaking Countries
Through online promotion and exhibition of products, the Distribution Centre aims to create a platform for the promotion and trade of food products from those countries. The Economic and Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal will launch the preparatory work for the Distribution Centre by acting as a virtual platform for promotion of those products.
The Portal’s ‘Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Products Database’ features products from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor.
Currently, most of the products featured in the database are from Brazil and Portugal, namely wines, canned food, coffee, tea, beverages, olive oil, confectionery, dairy products, condiments and spices. So far, more than 100 suppliers have pre-registered with the Portal.
More suppliers and potential buyers of food products of Portuguese-speaking Countries are being invited to join the Portal.
The Distribution Centre for Food Products from Portuguese-speaking Countries aims to increase the promotion channels for these products, by featuring them in fairs and exhibitions in Mainland China through the Macao Pavilions there, and by including them in the Macao International Trade & Investment Fair, also known as MIF.
Services Centre for Small and Medium-Enterprises from the Participating Countries
The Macao Business Support Centre and SME Service Centre from IPIM provide information on the Portuguese-speaking Countries and business opportunities available in and with those countries, in addition to offering consulting and support services. The two IPIM units also organise workshops on Portuguese-speaking Countries and have databases providing information on products, services, investment projects, commercial laws and companies from those countries.
In order to strengthen economic and trade co-operation between enterprises from China and Portuguese-speaking Countries via Macao, IPIM will organise seven workshops on Portuguese-speaking Countries in 2015, inviting representatives from these countries to make presentations. The goal is to enable companies from Macao and China, in particular small- and medium-sized enterprises, to get access to information on Portuguese-speaking markets.
The first workshop will focus on Brazil, and will take place in Macao. The First Secretary at the Embassy of Brazil in Beijing and Representative to the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Augusto Castro, will do a presentation on his country, highlighting the business opportunities available there.
Convention and Exhibition Centre for Economic and Trade Co-operation between the Participating Countries
This Centre aims to provide support for Portuguese-speaking Countries and companies from those countries to hold exhibitions in Mainland China and Macao, in order to promote their business environments, major projects and products, with special focus on food and famous products.
The Centre plans to invite Portuguese-speaking countries to organise trade fairs and other events in Macao, in co-ordination with events related to Macao brands.
In addition, the Centre aims to promote the organisation of exhibitions and other trade events via the mutual participation of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. In this regards, the Centre will also promote the participation of enterprises from Macao and Mainland China in fairs in Portuguese-speaking Countries, to improve Macao and Mainland China’s knowledge of the meetings and convention industry in those countries, as well as knowledge of those countries’ investment environments.
To help achieve these goals, the Economic and Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal provides details on various conventions and exhibitions in China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, including the date, location and website of such events.
Over the years, Macao has been playing a bridging role for economic and trade co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, namely as a platform for companies from Portuguese-speaking Countries wanting to enter the Mainland China market. Through the launch of the Economic and Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal and the creation of the three centres for trade co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, the parties involved aim to establish a highly efficient service platform, offering support to companies in the fields of information, financing, administrative procedures, logistics and human resources. In addition, these measures aim to create more efficient and diversified promotion channels for products, services and business opportunities.
All these initiatives promote and help consolidate the role of Macao as a service platform, while benefiting businesses and investors from Mainland China, Portuguese-speaking Countries and Macao. These initiatives provide new business opportunities to all parties, promoting mutually beneficial co-operation and the diversified economic development of Macao.
