A delegation organised by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, also known as Forum Macao, visited Xiamen, in Fujian Province, between September 7 and 9. It was there to take part in the activities of the ‘Dynamic Macao Week in Xiamen’.

The events promoted by the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao in Xiamen aimed to publicise more fully the work being done by Forum Macao and the Macao SAR Government; to highlight the role of Macao as a service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; to explain the investment environment and business opportunities of Portuguese-speaking Countries; and to promote economic and trade co-operation between Fujian Province and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

During the event, the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao set up a “Portuguese-speaking Countries’ Pavilion” at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center. The initiative aimed to promote the investment and business environment of the member countries of Forum Macao, namely: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor.

Displays at the Pavilion included traditional products from Portuguese-speaking Countries, with accompanying written explanations, photographs and videos.

The Pavilion also helped to promote the business and investment environments of the Portuguese-speaking member countries of Forum Macao, as a way to advance regional economic co-operation between Portuguese-speaking Countries and Mainland China.

Representatives of companies from Mainland China held exchanges with the Delegates from the Portuguese-Speaking Countries at the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, in order better to understand the investment environment and business opportunities in those countries.

On September 8, the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao arranged a “Seminar on Business Co-operation between Fujian, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries”. The seminar was organised in collaboration with the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Department of Commerce of Fujian Province.

During the Seminar, representatives of Fujian-based companies from the construction, mining, textile, trade and real estate sectors, held exchanges with the Delegates from the Portuguese-speaking Countries.

The activities held in Xiamen contributed to promoting more fully the respective roles of Forum Macao and of the city of Macao as a service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. The activities also introduced to the Fujian business community information about the business and investment environment in the Portuguese-speaking Countries, as well as those countries’ respective policies. This in turn promoted pragmatic co-operation between companies from Mainland China – namely from Fujian Province – and Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries.