In order to promote investment and trade cooperation between Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries and to open up new areas for cooperation, as part of Macau’s role as a platform, the Meeting of the Working Group for Investment and Trade Cooperation Promotion under the Council of the Summit for Commercial and Industrial Development of Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries, was held on May 9 in the city of Nanjing.

The meeting was organised by the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province, with support from the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Jiangsu Province, and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.

In her speech, the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Ms Xu Yingzhen, recalled that the Jiangsu Government held the first edition of the Summit for Commercial and Industrial Development of Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries in 2011, with seven editions successfully held since then, and the 2018 edition being the eighth. In 2014 the Council of the Summit was set up, composed of six Working Groups for Cooperation Promotion, namely on trade and investment, agriculture, education, tourism, fishing, and infrastructure.

The Council of the Summit for Commercial and Industrial Development of Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries has gradually emerged as a solid cooperation mechanism that demonstrates an active will by the Provinces and Municipalities of Mainland China and Portuguese-speaking Countries to initiate economic and trade exchanges and cooperation through the Macao platform, having already had successful experiences.

By holding this latest meeting, all sides are illustrating their will to develop pragmatic economic and trade cooperation via this mechanism, in order to find business opportunities; to make the most of the Macau platform; and to expand and deepen future cooperation on investment and trade between Mainland China, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

During the meeting, the Deputy Director of the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province, Mr Sun Jin, presented a status report on economic and trade cooperation between Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries and on the 2018-2020 Work Plan of the Working Group for Investment and Trade Cooperation Promotion. He mentioned that up to the end of 2017, interests from Macao and from Portuguese-speaking Countries had invested in a total of 688 projects in Jiangsu, while Jiangsu had established trade in services with, respectively, Macao, Angola, Brazil, Mozambique and Portugal, in transportation, tourism, construction, culture, leisure, insurance, finance and logistics.

The Work Plan is aimed at promoting pragmatic exchanges and cooperation between Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries on investment and trade, with a view towards mutual benefit. The participants in the 2018 Summit exchanged views on how to: expand bilateral trade; establish a pragmatic foundation for bilateral investment; boost communication and information exchange; hold activities such as mutual visits and exchanges between public services and companies; find ways to make the most of Macao’s role as a connecting ‘bridge’; and develop joint promotion efforts regarding the development of Macao as a Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries and of Macao’s “Three Centres” policy. During the Jiangsu visit, the Permanent Secretariat delegation visited several high-tech companies such as Suning Holdings Group and several at Xuzhuang Software Park.

The Permanent Secretariat’s visit to Jiangsu sought to boost cooperation with provinces and municipalities, having opened up good exchange opportunities for Portuguese-speaking Countries and Mainland Chinese companies. During the first meeting for 2018 of the Working Group for Investment and Trade Cooperation Promotion – and after an exchange of views – the 2018-2020 Work Plan was drafted, in order effectively to promote cooperation between Mainland Chinese Provinces and Municipalities and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and make it possible for them to make the most of Macao’s platform, bringing in new opportunities and a new impulse towards promoting economic and trade cooperation with Portuguese-speaking Countries.