Ho Iat Seng pledges robust solidarity as 6th Ministerial Conference begins today

Delegations from the governments of Portuguese-speaking countries arrived in Macau over the weekend for the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries – Macau (Forum Macau) that officially kicks off today and runs until Tuesday.

The occasion includes a series of activities besides the main ministerial conference, with several bilateral meetings and an entrepreneur conference to be held.

In total, nine delegations from Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries, together with China will discuss cooperation, trade and cultural exchange, seeking to deepen relations between all sides.

All participating countries have sent high level delegates who represent the economy, as well as the finance, trade and commerce and entrepreneurship sectors.

The Forum Macau was founded in 2003 from an initiative by China’s Central Government, via the country’s Ministry of Commerce, with collaboration from the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government.

Nine Portuguese-speaking countries are involved: Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste.

São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea are the latest additions, joining Forum Macau respectively in 2017 and 2022.

The 6th Ministerial Conference will mark the first time that government delegations from all 10 Forum Macau countries will gather physically in Macau.

One of the initiatives related to the Forum Macau was the establishment of the Cooperation and Development Fund between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

According to the Forum Macau Secretary-General, Ji Xianzheng, the Fund has over the past ten years financed ten projects worth around USD500 million (MOP4 billion).

China will be represented at the Ministerial Conference by the vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Li Hongzhong, who will deliver a keynote speech at the Conference’s opening ceremony this morning.

Last night, at the welcome dinner, the Chief Executive (CE), Ho Iat Seng, noted that “in the current times, when the world economy is facing profound changes, solidarity, mutually beneficial cooperation, and a joint response to challenges are even more important [than in the past].”

Looking back at the over two decades since the Forum Macau was created, Ho noted the support and promotion of the central government, the Ministry of Commerce, the Portuguese-speaking Countries, and the several leaders of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macau, economic and commercial cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, which have “achieved encouraging results and cooperation in various sectors”.

“Forum Macau is an efficient cooperation mechanism and a good service platform that has played an important role in strengthening economic and commercial cooperation and cultural exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries,” the CE said.

He said the local government would remain faithful to its platform role as well as to the implementation of the guidelines that resulted from the “two sessions.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Wentao, remarked, “Today, changes in the world and in our times are unfolding in an unprecedented way, with historic significance.”

“Looking forward, we are willing to work together with Portuguese-speaking countries to promote partnerships and respond to challenges, taking advantage of this Ministerial Conference to raise the level of Sino-Lusophone economic and trade cooperation to a new level. […] In this sense, the China’s Ministry of Commerce will continue to support Macao in developing its role as a Sino-Lusophone Platform,” he added.