A delegation of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, led by Secretary-General Ms Xu Yingzhen, travelled to Xiamen from September 6 to 9 to attend the 4th Green Ecological Construction Forum at the 2019 China International Fair for Investment and Trade (2019 CIFIT), and to hold a seminar on investment cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. The goal of the trip to Xiamen was to take full advantage of Macao’s unique advantages as a cooperation platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, in order to look for new channels of investment cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, namely within the scope of the “Belt and Road” initiative.
The seminar on investment cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries was held on September 8 at the Xiamen international Conference and Exhibition Center. It was organised by the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao and the China Council for International Investment Promotion (CCIIP). The event was supported by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM).
CCIIP Chairperson Ms Ma Xiuhong and the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao Ms Xu each gave a speech during the seminar.
During the seminar, IPIM Executive Director Mr Sam Lei talked about the current development of Macao’s role as a platform for trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, while CCIIP expert advisor Ms Zhou Xiaoyan gave suggestions on how to promote trade and investment cooperation, namely between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. Representatives from Portuguese-speaking Countries presented information on their respective countries’ business environment and opportunities for cooperation, while executives of companies from Mainland China shared insights about their successful experiences in cooperating with Portuguese-speaking Countries.
The Secretary-General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR Mr Wang Xindong and the Office’s Department of Economic Affairs Deputy Director-General Ms Li Huaying also attended the seminar.
More than 100 people took part in the seminar – including Representatives of Portuguese-speaking Countries to Forum Macao, participants in three seminars held by a training centre of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, and delegates from Mainland China companies. They all took full advantage of the opportunity to exchange ideas.
Secretary-General Ms Xu said that CIFIT had become one of the world’s largest bilateral investment promotion events, as well as an important link to attract investment and promote China’s internationalisation. Up to the end of 2017, the portfolio of Chinese direct investment in Portuguese-speaking Countries totalled over US$7.3 billion; overall aggregate Chinese investment in various fields in Portuguese-speaking Countries reached about US$50 billion. Investment cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries had accelerated in recent years. Macao, due to its unique cultural and language advantages, had strengthened its support for such cooperation, Ms Xu said.
The Secretary-General encouraged all sides to take full advantage of Macao’s unique advantages as a cooperation platform – especially the opportunities coming from the joint development of the “Belt and Road” initiative and of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – in order to boost investment cooperation and explore new models of win-win cooperation. She said the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao would, as always, continue to create favourable conditions for cooperation and provide quality support services for companies, thus helping to boost Macao’s position as a service platform and the city’s economic diversification.
