China to boost cooperation with Lusophone countries through new center

Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR, Fu Ziying, officiate at the unveiling ceremony of the plaque of the Anti-epidemic Exchange Centre

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang emphasized the flexibility and potential in the cooperation between China and Lusophone countries in his speech highlighting that the trade amount reached USD20 billion last year.

Yesterday saw the opening of the Special Ministerial Meeting of the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Economic Cooperation Forum (Macao) (Forum Macao). The meeting is being held in the city. Li spoke in a video on behalf of the host country.

Describing global and regional situations as rough and unsettled, the Chinese Premier offered three suggestions.

First and foremost is to retain peace and stability, whilst promoting development and affluence. Li described China as the world’s peacekeeper, adding that the country is willing to make collaborate with other countries.

Moreover, Li expressed China’s willingness to push toward unity in collaboration. China is to step up its collaboration with Lusophone countries in the areas of vaccine, medicine, and healthcare. To achieve this, an Anti-epidemic Exchange Centre will be established in Macau, so as to facilitate a global healthcare system.

In addition, the official stressed that China would insist on opening up and cooperating. The country will promote economic recovery and an open economy. He said that integration is the objective of economic and social development.

Furthermore, he said, China will strive to improve freedom, access and connectivity of trade and investment, while promoting cooperation on green trade.

Ending his speech, Li stressed that China would uphold the principle of ‘One country, two systems’, Macau residents administering Macau and a high degree of autonomy in Macau.

At the same occasion, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng highlighted in his speech that the function of the Forum Macao had constantly been reassessed. The forum has now basically transformed to a space built upon trade cooperation, with scientific research, traditional Chinese medicine, culture, tourism and MICE, finance, as well as youth entrepreneurship on the peripheral.

Ho pointed out that with the strong support of the Central People’s Government as well as the joint participation and efforts of all Lusophone countries, the economic and trade cooperation between China and the Lusophone world has achieved satisfactory results, besides cooperation in various fields being continuously strengthened and deepened.

The Chief Executive recalled that when President Xi Jinping visited the Service Platform Complex for Trade Cooperation between China and Lusophone countries in Macau in 2019, Xi concluded that the China-Lusophone cooperation platform has transformed from concept to reality and from blueprint to actuality. 

Building a service platform for commercial and trade cooperation between China and Lusophone countries is an important measure for the city to act upon its own strengths to serve the country.

The national 14th Five-Year Plan clearly proposes to expand the functions of the China-Lusophone countries platform. It fully reflects the central government’s great concern and attention for the construction and development of the Macau-China-Portuguese platform, and points out the direction of future construction.

Macau will continue to make full use of its unique advantages, seize opportunities such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-
Macao Greater Bay Area, increase efforts to improve and enrich the functions of the China-Portugal platform, and effectively provide platform services.

The theme of this special meeting is “A World Without Pandemic for Common Development.” Officials such as Vice Chairman Edmund Ho of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Director Fu Ziying of the Central People’s Government’s Liaison Office in Macau and Commissioner Liu Xianfa of the Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner’s Office in Macau are attending Forum Macao.

The first Ministerial Meeting of the Forum Macao was held in 2003.