A music and dance gala – part of the of 11th Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries – was held on October 17 at Rossio Square at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf.

Official guests attending the event included: the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Ms Xu Yingzhen; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy of Cabo Verde, Mr Alexandre Dias Monteiro; the Minister of Education of Cabo Verde, Ms Maritza Rosabal Peña; the Secretary-General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Wang Xindong; the Ambassador of Angola to China, Mr João Salvador dos Santos Neto; the Ambassador of Cabo Verde to China, Ms Tânia Romualdo; the Ambassador of Guinea-Bissau to China, Mr Malam Sambu; the Ambassador of São Tomé and Príncipe to China, Ms Isabel Maya Jesus da Graça Domingos; the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to China, Mr Bendito Freitas; the Consul-General of Brazil to Hong Kong and Macao, Mr Piragibe dos Santos Tarragô; the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong, Mr Paulo Cunha Alves; and the Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Mozambique in China, Mr António Rodrigues José.

Other guests attending the event included: representatives of the co-organising bodies of the 11th Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; artists participating in the Cultural Week, from respectively China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; representatives from Macao’s business and trade sectors; and members of local associations.

In a speech during the event, Secretary-General Ms Xu expressed her gratitude for the strong support provided to the Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries by the event co-organisers, supporting units, participating artists, and members of the diplomatic corps in Beijing representing Portuguese-speaking Countries. Ms Xu said such support and participation had helped the development over the years of the Cultural Week as a cultural platform, fostering exchanges between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, and promoting mutual understanding between people from both sides.

Ms Xu added that the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao would continue to expand the scope of exchanges in arts and culture, in order to elevate the role such exchanges play in overall cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. She added that such initiatives could contribute to improving mutual understanding and deepening friendship ties between people respectively from China and from the Portuguese-speaking Countries.

A number of artists from respectively China and Portuguese-speaking Countries performed during the music and dance gala, contributing to the unique atmosphere of the event.