The Macau Association of Banks signed on Wednesday a cooperation protocol to let its members use the system developed by the Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) for automatically translating Chinese into Portuguese and vice-versa, MPI says.

A written announcement by MPI quotes the head of the banking association, Ip Sio Kai, as saying the use of the system is meant to help Macao banks facilitate more business between China and the Portuguese-speaking world.

Mr Ip said the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area would mean more frequent exchanges by financial institutions in Macao and lusophone countries.

Mr Ip’s association will offer scholarships to Macao students to do research into translating Chinese, Portuguese and English into each other automatically, the announcement quotes MPI President Marcus Im Sio Kei as saying.