Chinese scholar wants to relocate Forum Macao to Hengqin

All affairs relating to trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries should involve Macau, according to Lin Guangzhi, head of the Institute for Social and Cultural Research (ISCR) at the Macau University of Science and Technology.
On the sidelines of yesterday’s launch ceremony for the 2018-2019 China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Cooperation Development Report, Lin highlighted Macau’s role in the national development plan of mainland China.
According to Lin, Macau and Zhuhai are currently “writing an article” together on jointly developing Hengqin.
Currently, the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao) has its roots in Macau, but the scholar believes this could move to Hengqin.
“We hope that we can relocate the China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Economy and Trade Cooperation Development and the Forum Macao to Hengqin,” said Lin.
The professor explained that Macau lacks the space for the institution, but Hengqin can accommodate it.
In the report on China-Portuguese Speaking Countries of 2018-2019, Macau was highlighted in three chapters. The report did not explicitly reveal how Macau contributed, benefited, or was practically involved in the trading relationship between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Its theoretical roles and the effectiveness of Macau’s participation were mentioned, however.
Trade in merchandise between China and Portuguese-speaking countries reached $149.6 billion in 2019, representing a 1.55% increase year-on-year, according to data from China Customs.
Portuguese-speaking countries sold goods worth $105.6 billion to China in 2019, up by 0.06% year-on-year. The value of China’s merchandise exports to those countries reached $44.1 billion in the same period, an increase of 5.3% year-on-year, according to Chinese official data. JZ