A prominent Chinese academic, Wang Cheng’an, believes China and lusophone countries are a good match for trading purposes, the People’s Daily reports.

The Chinese Communist Party newspaper says Mr Wang is the leading authority in his field at the University of International Business and Economics Centre for Studies on China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and that he formerly headed the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), known for short  as Forum Macao.

The report quotes Mr Wang as saying in an interview that China sells the Portuguese-speaking world mainly machinery, electronic gear, textiles and clothes, and that the Portuguese-speaking world sells China mainly bulk commodities and resource-intensive merchandise.

Chinese trade with each of Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe grew last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the People’s Daily quotes Mr Wang as saying.