Forum highlights Macau’s vital role as a business platform

The second edition of the China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries’ Young Entrepreneurs Forum kicked off yesterday at The Venetian, where eight associations from the region and Portuguese-speaking countries signed cooperation agreements.
The move is a step forward for the territory in meeting one of the measures highlighted by Premier Li Keqiang; transforming Macau into a center for Small and Medium Enterprises in both China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
The Forum is aimed at boosting attending associations’ efforts to promote and exchange business between participating countries and regions, particularly focusing on facilitating the entry of SMEs into the Chinese market.
During the discussion on the role of Macau in the creation of “one platform, three centers” for the cooperation of China and Portuguese-speaking countries, chairman of the Macau Youth Entrepreneur Association, Kevin Ho, said that Macau “has not done enough” to become a significant platform for trade and business.
Although he believed that the region had been effective in its efforts to be a “World Center of Tourism and Leisure,” the businessman noted that as a platform for businesses in this sector, Macau should think that now is the time to promote local SMEs to China and to Portuguese-speaking countries.
Several Chinese enterprises have already been going to such countries for additional trade and business, yet according to Ho, most of these investments were infrastructure projects embarked on by big corporations from China.
Ho, also a director of Tai Fung Bank, affirmed that Premier Li’s visit to the region was a ‘push’ to encourage the region to dynamically act as a platform for entrepreneurs abroad.
“We haven’t really tapped into the youth entrepreneurs and SMEs. I think now we’ve got another push, so hopefully, with this forum, we’ll build a closer cooperation between these people,” he told reporters.
Businessmen can be assured that the territory has strong links with China, thus they will attempt to bring more products and trade services into China from the Portuguese-speaking countries.
“We’re trying to utilize Macau and try to bring them through us,” he said.
The entrepreneur added that Macau would be of help to other countries who aimed to extend their companies’ reach to Asian countries.
He also hoped that local entrepreneurs would be enlightened of the benefits of bringing their projects to Portuguese-speaking countries since it is a vast market, with some 250 million residents.
The Forum is also aimed at bringing different cultures together to function within the ‘core capability’ of each business.
Meanwhile, Alberto Neto, president of Young Entrepreneurs Portugal-China, which is based in Portugal, recalled that the association was established to overcome trade barriers between China and Portugal. During the panel, he predicted that as the 21st Macao International Trade and Investment Fair kicks off today, entrepreneurs’ associations would create closer ties with other markets in a bid to provide further opportunities for cooperation, even with Spanish-speaking countries.
Furthermore, Jackson Chang, president of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, reflected in his speech on the importance of young entrepreneurs in the region’s economic development.
“The youngsters are the basis of the economic development and the most dynamic group with skills and potential for innovation in society,” he noted, adding that the forum would bring opportunities in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship.