A delegation led by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), visited Yichang Prefecture, known as the World Capital of Water and Electricity, from May 21 to 23. The 45-member delegation had earlier visited Wuhan, also in Hubei Province. The Yichang visit was part of the effort to implement Forum Macao’s Strategic Plan for Economic and Trade Cooperation and to promote cooperation on production capacity.
Yichang Deputy Mayor, Ms Zhou Zhengying, welcomed the delegation and recalled how Yichang, located on the Yangtze River, was one of the pioneer cities in the opening-up process of the country, having a history of being open and inclusive. Since 1996, Yichang had been promoting friendly exchanges with some Portuguese-speaking Countries, through extensive cooperation in tourism, agriculture, food and modern logistics; and had achieved satisfactory results.
While in Yichang, the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Yichang Prefecture People’s Government; as well as the Yichang High-Tech Free Trade Zone Management Committee; co-organised a “Production Capacity Cooperation Meeting between Yichang, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries”. Taking part were representatives of local companies, namely ones involved in industries including food processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, shipping, vehicle-making, science and technology, electronics, biotechnology, chemical engineering, manufacturing, musical instrument making, machinery production, medical products, renewable energy and modern logistics.
In addition, about 100 representatives of Macao companies and participants in the “Workshop on Production Capacity Cooperation for Portuguese-speaking Countries” took part in the meeting in Yichang.
Yichang Deputy Mayor Ms Zhou made a presentation of the world-renowned Three Gorges Dam industrial project, discussing the dam’s structure, overseas cooperation on the scheme, and its current economic outlook, as well as the plan to deepen cooperation on production capacity. She said she hoped the city of Yichang would develop further exchanges and cooperation with Portuguese-speaking Countries. She noted the population of the latter exceeded 200 million inhabitants, and hoped to see a boost in momentum regarding those ties, in order to achieve better results.
Ms Zhou stressed that Yichang should, through joint efforts and entrepreneurship, make the most of the global economic conditions and opportunities to build a new era of development for Yichang and for Portuguese-speaking Countries, writing a new chapter of prosperity and success for the “Belt and Road” initiative.
Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Ding Tian, gave a brief presentation during the Yichang meeting on production capacity, about Forum Macao and Macao’s role as a platform, emphasising that the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao has been stepping up efforts to develop its role as a bridge between local governments and enterprises in China that had a shared interest in having economic and trade cooperation with Portuguese-speaking Countries. Mr Ding expressed hope that the Yichang meeting would be a good starting point for further cooperation.
The parties involved – Yichang, Macao, and Portuguese-speaking Countries – could work together, within the “Belt and Road” initiative – and within Macao’s role as a service platform for trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries – to promote economic and trade exchanges, while exploring the markets of countries and places covered by the “Belt and Road” initiative, noted Mr Ding. This would ensure positive social and business outcomes by achieving mutually-beneficial cooperation and development between the Prefecture of Yichang, Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries, he added.
During the meeting, a representative of the Yichang High-Tech Free Trade Zone Management Committee made a presentation about the zone’s investment environment and preferential conditions. A representative of Macao companies shared information about her experience of providing business-consulting services on China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, while a representative of Yichang companies disclosed detailed information on business, economic and trade exchanges with Portuguese-speaking Countries.
Representatives of each of the Portuguese-speaking Countries at the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao attending the event, shared data on their respective country’s investment environment, preferential conditions and cooperation projects on production capacity. They also held business-matching sessions with the companies that were present.
The delegation additionally visited local companies Angel Yeast Co. Ltd; Jinbao Music Instrument Manufacturing Co. Ltd; Yichang High-Tech Free Trade Zone; and the Three Gorges Dam Exhibition Hall, and held exchange sessions with local business representatives. The visit to Yichang Prefecture, as well as the meeting on production capacity, encouraged all stakeholders to make the most of the unique advantages of the Macao platform in order to develop and stimulate business opportunities and cooperation between enterprises in Hubei Province and in Portuguese-speaking Countries, via Forum Macao’s multilateral mechanism.
