A delegation led by Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao Mr Ding Tian travelled to the city of Chengdu in Sichuan province from September 22 to 25. The Permanent Secretariat held the “Enjoy Macau, enjoy opportunities from the Portuguese-speaking Countries” presentation session. The Permanent Secretariat also, together with the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), and the Sichuan Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, took part in the Macao Week in Sichuan Chengdu opening ceremony, and visited local Chengdu companies.

Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding Tian met Chengdu Vice-Mayor Mr Cheng Wei on September 23, with both sides exchanging views on how to boost exchanges and cooperation between Chengdu and Portuguese-speaking Countries, via Macao. Also attending the meeting were: Deputy Secretaries-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Paulo Jorge Rodrigues do Espírito Santo, and Mr Casimiro de Jesus Pinto; the delegates of the Portuguese-speaking Countries at Forum Macao; Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Commerce Deputy Director Mr Zhang Wen; Chengdu Investment Promotion Bureau Deputy Director Ms He Li; and Chengdu State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission Vice-President Mr Wang Junkun.

The Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, IPIM, and the Sichuan Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, jointly held the “Enjoy Macau, enjoy opportunities from the Portuguese-speaking Countries” presentation session on September 24. Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding Tian, IPIM Executive Director Mr Vicent U, and Sichuan Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Vice-President Ms Lei Xuejie attended the session and delivered speeches.

Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding Tian mentioned in his speech that the act of taking part in Macao Week in Chengdu Sichuan and hosting the presentation session were aimed at helping all parties involved deepen exchanges and learn more from each other, in order further to promote economic and trade cooperation between mainland Chinese companies and Portuguese-speaking Countries. He vowed that Forum Macao would rely on the city’s role as a platform, to seize the opportunities created by the One Belt, One Road initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay, while focusing on anti-pandemic cooperation and on economic and social recovery in the post-pandemic period. 

Mr Ding said Forum Macao wants to build bridges of communication and cooperation between mainland China, Macao, and Portuguese-speaking Countries, while also encouraging mainland Chinese provinces and cities to discuss opportunities for cooperation with Macao, and to explore business opportunities in Portuguese-speaking markets via Macao’s platform, thus boosting the One Belt, One Road initiative based on joint consultation, construction and sharing.

Representatives respectively of the Embassies of Mozambique and of Timor-Leste in China, the delegates of the Portuguese-speaking Countries at the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, namely of Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe, delivered presentations on the investment environment in their respective countries. Promotional videos from Brazil and Angola were broadcast as well. 

The session also featured presentations from representatives of the Macao Association of Banks, the Macao Bar Association, and companies from China, and from Portuguese-speaking Countries. About 100 representatives of companies from Sichuan and Macao took part in the session, and exchanged views with the delegates of the Portuguese-speaking Countries on economic and trade cooperation, the import and export business, and overseas investment opportunities.

While staying in Chengdu, the delegation took part in the Macao Week in Sichuan Chengdu major roadshow, and visited the Chengdu XGimi Technology company, the Chengdu Qingbaijiang International Railway Port Exhibition Centre and National Pavilions, carrying out exchanges and discussing cooperation with local companies. 

Throughout these economic and trade activities in Chengdu, the Permanent Secretariat delegation constantly promoted Forum Macao and the city’s role as a platform, introduced it and the investment environment in Portuguese-speaking Countries to Sichuan companies, further boosting exchanges and cooperation between Portuguese-speaking Countries and Chinese provinces and cities.