From  September 26 to 28, a delegation led by the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) (hereinafter referred to as the “Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao”), Ji Xianzheng, visited Wuhan City in Hubei Province and held a series of economic and trade activities, including the Hubei-Macao-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Conference and the Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition and Sales Center of the Macao Federal Commercial Association of Wine and Food Industries in Portuguese Speaking Countries and Regions in Wuhan.

On the morning of September 27, the Hubei-Macao-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Conference was organized by the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao in conjunction with the Foreign Affairs Office of the Hubei Provincial People’s Government and the Hubei Sub-Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT Hubei). Speakers of the conference include the Vice-Governor of Hubei Province, Chen Ping, and the Secretary-General of Forum Macao, Ji Xianzheng. Representatives of Portuguese-speaking countries to the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, as well as business representatives from Macao, Portuguese-speaking countries, and Hubei Province attended the event and made presentations. Before the start of the conference, in the company of Secretary General Ji Xianzheng, Vice-Governor Chen Ping visited the Retrospective Exhibition for the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Forum Macao at the venue.

During the conference, Vice-Governor Chen Ping presented the regional advantages, socio-economic development, and the opening up of Hubei Province. The Vice-Governor pointed out that, over the years, the people of Hubei and Macao have maintained a friendly relationship and close communication, which helps promote the establishment of the “Hubei-Macao Cooperation Meeting” mechanism with an aim to encourage industrial complementarity and in-depth cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries as well as the active involvement of Hubei companies in infrastructure construction projects in Portuguese-speaking countries. The Vice-Governor emphasized that Hubei Province is keen to welcome more companies from Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries for the purposes of research and cooperation so as to explore new opportunities together and achieve mutual development.

Secretary-General Ji Xianzheng noted in his speech that the nine Portuguese-speaking countries, which boast an extraordinary wealth of natural resources and enormous development potential with countless market opportunities, are highly complementary to China. Hubei Province is currently engaged in building a high-quality “New Gateway” in an effort to provide excellent conditions for cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries. The Secretary-General added that, as a China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform, Macao is open to all parties, including companies from Hubei. As this year marks the 20th anniversary of Forum Macao, the Permanent Secretariat will organize a series of activities, such as a High-Level Seminar, the 15th Cultural Week of China and Portuguese Speaking Countries, and the 1st China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Expo (CPLPEX), among others. Forum Macao will take full advantage of Macao’s role as a platform to stimulate exchange and cooperation with the participating parties in the fields of economy, trade, culture, and so on. Ji hoped that the conference could boost the exchange and cooperation between parties in the interest of mutual gains between Hubei Province, Macao, and Portuguese-speaking countries.

At the conference, the delegates of Portuguese-speaking countries to the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, including the Representative of Angola, Agostinho dos Santos; the Representative of Cabo Verde, Nuno Furtado; the Representative of Guinea-Bissau, Eng. Abdú Jaquité; the Representative of Equatorial Guinea, Cristina Abeso; the Representative of Mozambique, Francisca Reino; the Representative of Portugal, Márcia Guerreiro; and the Representative of São Tomé and Príncipe, Gika Simão, gave presentations on the business environments, favorable policies, and representative cooperation projects in their countries. Representatives of Hubei companies introduced opportunities for cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries in the fields of communication, automobiles, water resources, energy, medicine, and agriculture. Representatives of companies from Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries shared experiences of business operation and promoted their businesses. After the activity, the representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries and the representatives of the Hubei companies had an exchange of views and planned future cooperation.

In the afternoon of the same day, the delegation of the Permanent Secretariat took part in the Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition and Sales Center of the Macao Federal Commercial Association of Wine and Food Industries in Portuguese Speaking Countries and Regions in Wuhan.