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‘Macao’s role as a platform between China and Portugal’ Presentation session by provinces and companies from China takes place in Lisbon
Release time:2019-07-09
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The “Macao’s role as a platform between China and Portugal – Presentation session in Lisbon by provinces and companies from China”, was held in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 3. The event was organised by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao); AICEP Portugal Global, Portugal’s investment and foreign trade agency; and IAPMEI, Portugal’s agency for competitiveness and innovation.


Nearly 100 participants attended the event, including: a delegation from the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; a delegation from the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government; and delegations from the business sectors in, respectively Liaoning Province; Hunan Province; and Changzhou Municipality in Jiangsu Province. There were also delegations from: the Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade; and from China Development Bank’s China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Cooperation and Development Fund; as well as attendance by representatives from Chinese and Portuguese enterprises.


Deputy Director-General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Mr Yao Jian; the President of IAPMEI, Prof. Nuno Mangas; the Executive Director of AICEP Portugal Global, Dr António Silva; and Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, MrDing Tian, gave speeches respectively at the presentation session.


During his speech, Mr Yao outlined that a December 2018 visit to Portugal by the President of China; and a visit to China – from April 28 to May 2 this year – by the President of Portugal, had contributed to boosting “Belt and Road” initiative cooperation in various fields, between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. Macao had – thanks to the promotion efforts of China’s Central Government and the support of the Macao SAR Government – made progress in building up a mechanism known as the Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, added Mr Yao. It had helped achieve remarkable results in boosting cooperation between related Chinese provinces and Portuguese-speaking Countries, namely in the fields of the economy, investment and tourism areas.


The Presentation session aimed to allow participants to take advantage of the platform role of Forum Macao, so fostering development and cooperation between Chinese provinces and municipalities and the enterprises from those places, with counterparts in Portugal.


Forum Macao’s Mr Ding said that the trade volume between China and Portugal reached approximately US$6.01 billion in 2018, up 7.27 percent from the previous year. The aggregate Chinese investment in Portugal has also been increasing, reaching US$8 billion and covering areas such as energy, communication infrastructure, finance, water services, insurance and healthcare. He emphasised that the announced “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” had presented new opportunities for the development of the city and for international cooperation.


Deepening cooperation between China and Portugal would further their mutual development, said Mr Ding. The Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao would continue to provide services and act as a platform for China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, in order to promote cooperation in business.


During the presentation session, representatives from respectively: Zhejiang Province; Hunan Province; Dalian city in Liaoning Province; and the business sector in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, gave introductions regarding their particular business environment. A representative from the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Cooperation and Development Fund also made a brief presentation on several topics.


Participants exchanged views on how – by using Macao’s role as a Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries – to boost mutual development, and promote cooperation between Mainland China, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries, in the fields of trade and investment.