Continuing his tour in Lisbon, the Chief Executive (CE), Sam Hou Fai, met on Monday (April 20) local time with two Portuguese ministers (the Ministers of Justice and Economy, and of Territorial Cohesion) as well as with representatives of the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Portugal.
In the meeting with Portugal’s Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, the two exchanged views on further deepening economic and trade cooperation between Macau and Portugal, and on supporting Macau in better fulfilling its role as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Subsequently, Sam and Almeida met with representatives of the business delegation accompanying the CE on the visit to Portugal to discuss establishing links and creating a platform to explore business opportunities.
As in previous occasions, Sam noted Macau’s unique strengths – such as its dual-language environment in Chinese and Portuguese and its continental European-style legal system, which allow the region to become a bridge for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, helping enterprises from both sides to explore third-party markets jointly, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
The CE noted that Portugal possesses competitive advantages in sectors such as science and technology, education, tourism, and conventions and exhibitions, remarking that he looked forward to further expanding exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in these fields, establishing a platform for coordination, and strengthening mutual collaboration.
On his part, Minister Almeida said that thanks to the unique and irreplaceable relationship between Portugal and Macau, the region boasts a wealth of legal and linguistic talent, enabling it to maintain close ties with Portuguese-speaking countries.
He remarked that Portugal attaches great importance to its friendly relations with China, and that he himself had advocated many years ago for the teaching of Chinese in local primary schools, so as to seize at an early stage the opportunities presented by China’s development.
The two sides’ officials then met with over 20 business representatives accompanying the delegation on its visit to Portugal to exchange views, forge connections, and seize opportunities for cooperation.
More judicial cooperation
Earlier in the day, the CE met with Portugal’s Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, to exchange views on enhancing bilateral ties and deepening judicial cooperation between Macau and Portugal.
During the meeting, Sam shared an update with the minister on the current status of legal system development and legal talent training in Macau, noting that since the handover, Macau has maintained its pre-existing legal system while reviewing and updating major legal codes to meet evolving social and economic needs.
Sam expressed hope for stronger collaboration with Portugal’s Ministry of Justice, particularly in further implementing comprehensive judicial assistance arrangements between Macau and Portugal to provide robust legal safeguards for bilateral economic, trade, and people-to-people exchanges.
Minister Júdice noted that Portugal’s Ministry of Justice has long been committed to promoting judicial cooperation between the two sides and will continue to advance and deepen the bilateral partnership.
She also praised the government’s efforts to preserve cultural diversity, noting that the Portuguese language and culture are well maintained and promoted in Macau.
Current and future of Chinese businessin Portugal
On the same day, Sam met with representatives of the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Portugal, during which the delegation exchanged views with representatives of Chinese mainland enterprises and Macau businesses operating in Portugal.
The meeting focused on understanding the current operations and future prospects of these enterprises in Portugal, and on strengthening mutual coordination to promote shared development.
Member companies of the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Portugal operate across key sectors, including energy, finance, insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications, and collectively serve over 90% of Portugal’s population, Sam noted, remarking that they have made positive contributions to local socio-economic development, facilitated the expansion of Chinese enterprises in the Portuguese market, and played a significant role in promoting China-Portugal economic and trade cooperation.
Sam noted the “Joint Voyage” model, used for the first time in this tour, highlighting the need to better leverage Macau’s unique platform role in supporting both Chinese mainland and Macau enterprises in expanding overseas.
The CE took the opportunity to encourage Macau companies in Portugal to strengthen collaboration with the Association, integrating into and serving the national development agenda.
In this context, the Association stated its commitment to actively align with national strategies and strengthen collaboration with Macau to promote complementary strengths and resource sharing.
In closing, Sam encouraged Chinese mainland and Macau enterprises in Portugal to maintain confidence in their development, seize the opportunities presented by the Guangdong-Macau Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, make full use of Macau’s multiple advantages, and continue deepening multilateral cooperation in technological innovation, trade, and other fields.
Portuguese firms told to tap first-mover edge in Hengqin
Portuguese companies that establish an early presence in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin will gain a significant competitive advantage, according to a senior Macau business leader.
Carlos Cid Álvares, chairman of the Macau Delegation of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCILC Macau), said first-mover positioning is crucial for success in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), as cited in a TDM report.
He made the remarks on Sunday on the sidelines of an investment promotion event in Lisbon organised by the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM).
“Companies that establish themselves first in Hengqin will benefit from a significant competitive edge,” Álvares said, adding that investors can use Macau as a strategic gateway to the mainland market.
Álvares, who is also CEO of Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU), was part of a 120-member business delegation accompanying Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai on official visits to Lisbon and Madrid. He highlighted Portugal’s strengths in sectors such as agriculture, food products, cork, moulds, wood pulp and fast-growing technology “unicorn” startups.
As an example of successful expansion, he pointed to Manteigaria, a Portuguese artisanal egg tart brand that has invested in Macau and is now using the city as a base to expand into Hong Kong.
Álvares said Portuguese firms can scale up effectively by forming partnerships with companies based in Macau and Hengqin, enabling wider access to the mainland market.
“From that base, they can gain access to the broader 1.4-billion-strong Chinese market,” he said.
He added that Hengqin’s preferential policies and improving infrastructure make it an increasingly attractive destination for foreign investment, particularly for early entrants seeking to benefit from the zone’s deeper integration into the Greater Bay Area development framework. RD
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