The Promotion Session for Investing in the Portuguese-speaking Countries – part of the official programme of the 11th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF) – was held at Cotai Expo in Venetian Macao, on December 3.

The Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries organised the Promotion Session. The event was supported by China International Contractors Association, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), and the China-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Co-operation and Development Fund.

Among those attending the event were: Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao Mr Ding Tian; Mozambique’s Ambassador to China, Ms Maria Gustava; the Consul-General of Angola in Macao, Mr Eduardo Velasco Galiano; the Consul-General of Mozambique in Macao, Mr Rafael Custódio Marques; and the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong, Mr Paulo Cunha Alves. Also attending were: the President of the China-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Co-operation and Development Fund, Mr Song Lei; Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao (appointed by Portuguese-speaking Countries), Mr Paulo Jorge Espírito Santo; and Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao (appointed by the Macao SAR Government), Mr Casimiro de Jesus Pinto. Additionally present were: China Gezhouba Group International Engineering Co., Ltd Vice-President Mr Yuan Baoyi; the Director of IPIM’s Lusophone Markets Economic and Trade Promotion Department, Mr António Lei; and Representatives of Portuguese-speaking Countries at the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao.

In a speech at the Promotion Session, Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding said that holding this year’s IIICF was especially significant, due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that IIICF offered an exchange platform for participants to discuss changes and new trends in the international infrastructure market amid the ongoing pandemic. In addition, such an exchange platform could be used to propose solutions to overcome challenges, by boosting industry-level cooperation worldwide while promoting sustainable infrastructure development once the pandemic was under control, all in order to stimulate global economic recovery.

Mr Ding said the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao would continue to leverage on Macao’s platform role to promote pragmatic cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, assisting in Macao’s economic diversification. He said he hoped participants in the Promotion Session could make the most of the event, to explore jointly new opportunities for cooperation on infrastructure that could benefit people respectively from China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

The Promotion Session for Investing in the Portuguese-speaking Countries was set up as a platform to promote exchanges and cooperation between participating companies and entities. The President of the China-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Co-operation and Development Fund in Macao, Mr Song, was invited to the event to give a presentation on the fund’s investment plan and strategy.

The Promotion Session had two parts. The first was focused on the sharing of insights regarding overseas investment experiences by Chinese companies, in order to explore opportunities for cooperation. The second part was dedicated to investment opportunities in Portuguese-speaking Countries, with Representatives of Portuguese-speaking Countries in the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao delivering presentations on their respective countries, namely covering investment environment and opportunities, national development plans, major investment and cooperation projects, and successful case studies.

IPIM’s Mr Lei also delivered a presentation at the Promotion Session, about Macao’s competitive advantages and its role as a cooperation platform.

Speeches and presentations delivered during the Promotion Session will be made available on the official website of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao (https://www.forumchinaplp.org.mo).