A delegation of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao – led by Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding Tian – visited the Huai’an municipality in Jiangsu Province from September 17 to 19. Several activities were held during the visit, namely to promote: production-capacity cooperation; cooperation between provinces and municipalities respectively from China and from the Portuguese-speaking Countries; and to boost Macao’s role as a cooperation platform.

Mr Qi Shouyu, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Head of the United Front Work Department, welcomed the Forum Macao delegation to Huai’an. Both sides exchanged views on how to: foster cooperation between Huai’an and the Portuguese-speaking Countries; strengthen production-capacity cooperation; harness Forum Macao’s role as a multilateral cooperation mechanism; and make the most of Macao’s position as a cooperation platform.

The Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Jiangsu Province jointly held on September 18 a “Meeting on Production Capacity Cooperation between Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries”. Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Jiangsu Province Mr Liu Jiandong, and the Deputy Mayor of Huai’an Mr Gu Kun, both attended the Meeting.

Other participants in the event included municipal officials from Huai’an, namely from: the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office; the Development and Reform Commission; the Department of Industry and Information; the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; the Department of Commerce; and the Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism. The Meeting on Production Capacity Cooperation was also attended by more than 30 representatives from Huai’an companies, namley ones related to agriculture, textiles, food products, logistics, car-making, technology, electrical engineering, and electromechanics.

During the Meeting, Deputy Mayor Mr Gu discussed Huai’an’s economic and social development in recent years, and in particular the municipality’s overall motto for a new era of development: ‘Openness to the world, rising among neighbouring cities’. He said that, in recent years, Huai’an’s economy had reached new heights, including a record per-capita GDP (gross domestic product) of US$10,000. The municipality had also successfully transitioned from an economy highly reliant on the industrial and manufacturing sector, to having now the services sector as its major economic engine.

In addition, Deputy Mayor Mr Gu highlighted that the Huai’an High-Tech Industry Development Zone had been listed as a national-level high-tech zone, while the Huai’an Economic and Technological Development Zone was among China’s 30-largest development zones. He additionally said he hoped the “Meeting on Production Capacity Cooperation between Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries” could help build new links between attending parties, boosting cooperation between Huai’an and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

Forum Macao Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding also delivered a speech at the event. He gave a brief presentation on Forum Macao and on Macao’s role as a cooperation platform. Mr Ding also reviewed the current state of production-capacity cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

In his speech, Mr Ding stressed that the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao had been focused on nurturing cooperation ties with provinces and municipalities in Mainland China – including particularly close cooperation with Jiangsu Province – in order to facilitate collaboration between those areas of China, and the Portuguese-speaking Countries. Such efforts were focused on the most competitive sectors of the economy in each participating place, and on the development needs of each of the Portuguese-speaking Countries, he said.

Mr Ding noted that a total of eight editions of the Summit for Commercial and Industrial Development of Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries had been held since the event was launched in 2011. He said the Summit had become a model for economic and trade cooperation between Mainland China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, making use of Macao’s role as a cooperation platform. In his speech, he called on all sides to take full advantage of opportunities created by the “Meeting on Production Capacity Cooperation between Jiangsu, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries” in order to carry out business-matching activities, and explore business and cooperation opportunities.

Business representatives from Huai’an attending the meeting discussed their experiences regarding investment in Portuguese-speaking Countries, particularly in the textile industry and in green power generation. A representative from Macao-based Perfeição Ltd discussed the firm’s experience in providing business consulting services on the topic of cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; he also reviewed some successful case studies in this area.

Representatives from the Portuguese-speaking Countries in Forum Macao that attended the Meeting in Huai’an gave presentations regarding their respective countries. The respective presentations related to each nation’s current investment environment, preferential policies on trade and business, and opportunities regarding production capacity cooperation projects. The Representatives to Forum Macao also engaged in exchanges with executives from Jiangsu Province’s business sector.

During its stay in Huai’an, the Forum Macao delegation visited the Huai’an Economic and Technological Development Zone Exhibition Room. The party also toured the facilities of a local weaving firm and of a firm producing artificial turf.

The delegation’s visit to Huai’an was an important initiative in promoting Macao’s positioning as a cooperation platform, and Forum Macao’s role as a mechanism for multilateral cooperation. It also helped to strengthen the close ties between Macao and the Portuguese-speaking Countries in terms of language and culture, thus furthering Macao’s role as a bridge for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. The visit was additionally used to promote exchanges and cooperation between enterprises from Huai’an and those from Portuguese-speaking Countries.