The parallel session on “Giving full play to Macao’s role as a platform in promoting the joint implementation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries of the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative”, part of the official programme of the 12th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF), was held at the Venetian Macao’s convention and exhibition centre, on July 23. It was co-organised by Mainland China-Macao Belt and Road Business and Professional Services Council, and the Permanent Secretariat of Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao).

In recent years, Macao has been actively building the service platform for trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, which has strongly enhanced the economic and trade cooperation between the two sides. It has also become an important platform facilitating the participation of the Portuguese-speaking countries in the “Belt and Road” initiative. In the context of China’s opening to the outside world on all fronts, the parallel session on “Giving full play to Macao’s role as a platform in promoting the joint implementation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries of the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative” aimed to explore ways to boost fresh opportunities between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries regarding infrastructure development, by making good use of Macao’s platform advantage, and aimed also to accelerate the integration of Portuguese-speaking countries into the national “Belt and Road” initiative. The parallel session also targeted to expand third-party market cooperation under the joint effort of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, in a bid to stimulate high-quality development in relation to the construction of the “Belt and Road”.

Assistant Minister of Commerce, Mr Ren Hongbin; Macao Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Lei Wai Nong; Mozambique’s Ambassador to China, Ms Maria Gustava; and Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Ding Tian, delivered welcoming speeches at the opening ceremony of the event. 

In his speech, Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding outlined the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao’s commitment to acting as a liaison point to help enterprises from Mainland China and Macao that intend to cooperate with Portuguese-speaking Countries on business and trade. He hoped the event would be a good starting point. The opportunities created by China’s formulation and implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan; the making of new ground in pursuing opening up on all fronts; and Macao’s economic and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, would allow Mainland China, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries to be connected more closely. Together, the three parties would jointly explore markets along the “Belt and Road”, and create a new development model for Sino-Lusophone cooperation on the building of this initiative.

The event attracted about 120 attendees, including representatives of relevant government departments of Mainland China and Macao; members of Mainland China-Macao Belt and Road Business and Professional Services Council; representatives of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao; Ambassadors of Portuguese-speaking Countries to China; Macau Chinese Enterprises Association; and financial institutions, consultancies, and related enterprises.