Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Slated for Mid-October

QR code of the Forum (Photo provided by the Permanent Secretariat of The Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao)

The 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) will be held in Macao on 11th and 12th October. Delegations from Mainland China and seven Portuguese-speaking countries - namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor - will be in Macao for the Ministerial Conference.

The theme for this edition of the Ministerial Conference will be 'Working Toward Stronger Sino-Portuguese-speaking Countries' Trade and Economic Relations – Combining Efforts, Jointly Building a Platform, Sharing Fruits of Development'. The Ministerial Conference will highlight the opportunities arising from the 'Belt and Road' Initiative and the Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. The intention is also to support Macao as the commercial and service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The Ministerial Conference will start with a welcoming banquet and opening ceremony, followed by ministerial meetings and press briefings. Delegates representing the participating countries will sign several memorandums of co-operation, one of which will be the Strategic Plan for Economic and Trade Co-operation (2017-2019). It will outline the development vision and direction for co-operation covering those three years. Meetings will also be held between entrepreneurs from China and those from Portuguese-speaking countries.

Forum Macao seeks to build multilateral ties between governmental agencies of its various member countries and places in a bid to facilitate economic and trade co-operation. It also aims to better promote Macao's unique bridging role between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries in order to bolster exchanges in trade services and cultural affairs.

For promoting the Forum and Macao platform to public and related departments and enterprises in Mainland China, the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum opened the official WeChat account for Mainland China in June, having already launched its official international WeChat account. Thus, the public can follow the official account via their smartphone or other mobile device.

The Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) was founded in Macao in October 2003. An initiative of the Central Government, with the collaboration of the Macao SAR Government, it serves a unique bridging role between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries. As well as expanding intergovernmental exchanges, it seeks to boost co-operation in trade, investment, human resources, agriculture and fisheries, and overall economic development. The Forum also consolidates Macao's position as a platform and increases its national influence.

For more details of the Forum, please visit: www.forumchinaplp.org.mo/?lang=en.