On March 26, the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao held its 19th regular meeting in Macao. Representatives from the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Macao SAR Government, ambassadors and liaison officers from Portuguese-speaking countries to China, and members of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao attended the meeting. Chaired by Secretary-General Ji Xianzheng, the meeting summarized the work of 2023 and discussed and approved the work plan for 2024.

The year 2023 not only marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Forum Macao but was also the first year for the Permanent Secretariat to fully resume offline exchanges after the pandemic. The Permanent Secretariat, based on the Macau Platform, has been actively promoting the implementation of the consensus reached at Ministerial Conferences and the Extraordinary Ministerial Conference. As part of the annual work plan, the Permanent Secretariat organized a series of celebratory events for the 20th anniversary of Forum Macao. It also focused on promoting trade and investment, co-operation in human resources, cultural exchanges, and using Macao’s role as the commercial and trade co-operation service platform. Throughout the year, it organized, co-organized, and participated in a total of 38 significant events, effectively fulfilling the work plan for 2023.

The 6th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macao will be held in April 2024. In the first half of the year, the Permanent Secretariat will focus on the preparations for the Ministerial Conference, coordinate all parties to reach an agreement on the outcome document of the conference as early as possible, and actively co-operate with the Macao SAR government to support the logistical preparations to ensure the successful hosting of the Ministerial Conference. In the second half of the year, the Permanent Secretariat will actively assist in enhancing the functions of Macao as the commercial and trade co-operation service platform in accordance with the Strategic Plan for Economic and Trade Co-operation (2024-2027) that will have been signed at the 6th Ministerial Conference. It will also explore and participate in the in-depth co-operation between Guangdong, Macao, and Hengqin, promoting the common development between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

At the regular meeting, new members of the Permanent Secretariat were introduced, including the new Deputy Secretary-General appointed by China, Ms. Xie Ying; the new Deputy Secretary-General appointed by Portuguese-speaking countries, Mr. Danilo Afonso Henriques; and the new Representative of Timor-Leste, Mr. António Ramos da Silva. After the meeting, representatives from all parties signed the minutes.

Representatives from different countries who spoke at this regular meeting include: Liaison Officer and Director of the Asia and Oceania Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Angola, Mr. Miguel Dialamicua; Counselor of the Embassy of Brazil in China, Mr. João Batista do Nascimento Magalhães; Ambassador of Cabo Verde in China, Mr. Arlindo Nascimento do Rosário; Deputy Director-General of the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce of China, Mr. Yan Zhigang; Ambassador of Guinea-Bissau in China, Mr. António Serifo Embaló; Liaison Officer and Director-General of the Department of Affairs of Portuguese-speaking Countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Equatorial Guinea, Mr. Ricardo Mateo Sila; Liaison Officer and Director of the Asia and Oceania Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mozambique, Mr. José António Alberto Matsinha; Ambassador of Portugal in China, Mr. Paulo Jorge Pereira do Nascimento; Liaison Officer and Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Expatriates of São Tomé and Príncipe, Mr. Américo Afonso Lima Viegas; Ambassador of Timor-Leste in China, Mr. Maubere Lorosae da Silva Horta; and Executive Director of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Mr. Jacinto Luiz.