A delegation organised by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation Between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao) visited Hunan Province, in Mainland China, to participate in the ‘Dynamic Macao Business and Trade Fair’ held in the provincial capital Changsha.

The delegation was led by the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Chang Hexi. The group included the participants in the ‘Seminar on Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development for Portuguese-speaking Countries’. The latter event has been held by the Training Centre of Forum Macao.

The group travelled to Changsha on April 9. The Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao set up a Portuguese-speaking Countries Pavilion at the event. It was located at Hall A in the Hunan International Convention Centre and Exhibition.

The main goals of the Pavilion were to promote Forum Macao and the advantages of Macao’s role as a platform for cross-border trade and co-operation, and to provide information on Portuguese-speaking Countries.

The Pavilion featured the latest developments in the seven Portuguese-speaking Countries that are members of Forum Macao, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor. The stand included displays, photographs and texts.

On April 10, several guests visited the Portuguese-speaking Countries Pavilion at the Dynamic Macao fair and took a group photograph with representatives from the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao. Those photographed included: the Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government, Mr Leong Vai Tac; the Governor of Hunan Province, Mr Du Jiahao; the Deputy Director General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Mr Yao Jian; the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Chang Hexi; the Deputy Secretary-General (appointed by Portuguese-speaking Countries) of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Vicente de Jesus Manuel; the Deputy Secretary-General (appointed by the Macao SAR Government) of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Ms Echo Chan; and the Director of Macao Economic Services, Mr Sou Tim Peng.

Also on April 10, the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, along with the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, known as IPIM, and the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province, organised the ‘Conference on Business Co-operation between Hunan, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries’, at Wuzhou Ballroom, in the Intercontinental Changsha Hotel.

Participants from Hunan Province included managers from well-known companies operating in a wide range of sectors, namely: agriculture technology; construction; infrastructure; transport; design; energy; machinery; advanced technology; human resources; and trade.

During the talk, representatives from the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao and from IPIM gave presentations on topics including: Forum Macao; Portuguese-speaking Countries; Macao’s role as a platform; and the city’s investment environment.

Representatives of Portuguese-speaking Countries at the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao and members of Hunan business community had the opportunity to establish fruitful exchanges during the conference. For example, Longping High-Tech Deputy Director, Ms Feng Xiahui, provided attendees with details of her company’s investment plans for East Timor.

The Forum Macao Delegation also visited the Changsha National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and the facilities of Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Development Co Ltd. During these visits, members of the delegation had a chance to learn new management practices and better to understand the industrial development of Changsha.

These activities in Hunan Province further raised the profile of Forum Macao and promoted Macao’s role as a platform for cross-border trade and co-operation. They also helped to provide the local business community with more details on the business environments and benefits of investing in Portuguese-speaking Countries, promoting co-operation between companies from Mainland China, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

These activities included support services to businesses interested in investing and finding partners in Portuguese-speaking Countries, thus reinforcing Macao’s role as a service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.