The Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) – as a partner institution of the 23rd Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) – has set up a Portuguese-speaking Countries’ Pavilion at the trade show. In addition, the body is also promoting Macao’s role as a cooperation platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries at the Portuguese-Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (PLPEX), being held concurrently with MIF.

On October 18, a delegation from the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, led by Secretary-General Ms Xu Yingzhen, welcomed respective Ambassadors to Beijing of the Portuguese-speaking Countries to participate in the opening ceremony of MIF, and to take part in visits and exchanges at the Portuguese-speaking Countries’ Pavilion and at PLPEX.

The Portuguese-speaking Countries’ Pavilion at MIF – a trade show taking place at Cotai Expo in Venetian Macao – has a total area of 180 square metres, featuring stands for each of the eight Portuguese-speaking Countries (Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste). The Pavilion aims to raise awareness among visitors regarding the investment and business environment of Portuguese-speaking Countries – using texts, photographs, videos and a product showcase –, as well as to promote the work of Forum Macao and Macao as a cooperation platform.

The Macao SAR Government has made available a group of trainees that are bilingual in Chinese and Portuguese. They are providing support at MIF to Forum Macao Delegates hailing from Portuguese-speaking Countries – and to Portuguese-speaking business people – during business-matching sessions. The aim is to promote trade between enterprises from China and from Portuguese-speaking Countries.

In addition – making the most of the 10th Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, an event that overlaps with MIF – the Permanent Secretariat is showcasing at MIF typical products from Portuguese-speaking Countries, in order to promote economic and trade cooperation through cultural exchanges.

MIF is a major annual international event in Macao, namely in the field of economic and trade matters, with the 2018 edition having “Cooperation – Key to Business Opportunities” as its theme. This year, the organisers have invited Mozambique to be the event’s “Partner Country” and Fujian Province as “Partner Province”.

During MIF and PLPEX, the Permanent Secretariat, by setting up a Pavilion to promote a series of activities, allows visitors and consumers better to comprehend the current standing of economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and to know more about investment and trade opportunities in Portuguese-speaking Countries.

The series of activities – which has been receiving great attention from local and foreign authorities, and from business people joining MIF and PLPEX – helps to strengthen regional economic cooperation between China, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries, creating new opportunities for development and further enhancing Macao’s role as a service platform for trade cooperation.