Q& A – Chang Hexi – Forum Macau’s Secretary General | ‘Forum Macau’s goals will be increasingly oriented toward pragmatism’

Chang Hexi

After eight years leading the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macau), Chang Hexi is leaving the organization. The Secretary General talks about the organization’s main achievement in promoting cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries and offers his views on the institution’s future.
– You have headed Forum Macau for more than eight years. What is the major difference between the Forum you are leaving and the one you took charge of in 2008?
– The Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macau – supported by the governments of Macau, participating countries and various local partners – has worked over the years to promote cooperation and exchanges between mainland China, Macau and the Portuguese-speaking countries in the areas of economy and trade, human resources, and language and culture, among others. Considerable progress has been made in achieving the targets set out in Forum Macau’s action plan for economic and cultural cooperation, while simultaneously taking advantage of Macau as a platform. I believe that Macau’s role as a springboard of services for trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries has been consolidated.
– Relations between China and the Portuguese- speaking countries have grown over the years, not just in terms of financial support but also investment. In what sectors do you think this relationship will expand? Agriculture and fisheries? Infrastructure? Social support? Education? Energy?
– In line with the content set out in the action plans for economic and social cooperation, the Permanent Secretariat has promoted multilateral exchanges and cooperation in many different areas, making use of the Macau platform. Based on dynamic and pragmatic principles, the Secretariat has sought to be innovative with its cooperation models, using that platform as a bridge for relations between participating countries.
Encouraging progress and results have been obtained. For example, in the fisheries area, support was given to companies and services from Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces for visits to look into cooperation prospects in Timor-Leste, Guinea-Bissau and Angola. […] As for human resources, we used the Forum Macau’s training center to hold symposiums in Macau; cooperation with the respective MSAR government services led to the arrangement of internships destined for the Portuguese-speaking countries as well as a seminar on bilingual teaching and training, among other activities.
– There is still a great lack of awareness about investment potential and the creation of partnerships between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. Is there a pressing need to better publicize what those countries have to offer and receive? Do you believe such promotion should be reinforced in the Forum?
– In recent years, the Permanent Secretariat has promoted large- scale exchanges and cooperation between companies from China and the Portuguese-speaking countries; actively participating in exhibitions and meetings held in Macau and mainland China, and setting up the Portuguese- speaking Countries’ Pavilion to promote business and investment opportunities in those countries. The Secretariat has made major efforts to deepen knowledge and foster exchanges with companies from inside China, presenting those countries’ prospects to Chinese companies by organizing contact pools, presentation sessions and lectures. They indicated a notable lack of knowledge about the Portuguese-speaking countries. The Secretariat will therefore continue efforts to raise awareness and provide Chinese companies sufficient information about those countries.
– The Co-operation and Development Fund was established in 2013 and has been insufficiently utilized. Is there a lack of information, well-grounded proposals or awareness about the fund?
– The Permanent Secretariat has promoted the fund as a stimulus, so that more ventures can be financed. The fund is managed by its respective management body. The operational model is fairly strict regarding the documents that companies must submit as part of applications to the fund. The Secretariat has promoted the fund among companies, providing support to the China Development Bank vis-à-vis the presentation of access conditions and application procedures. A fund representative has been regularly invited to attend the Meeting of Entrepreneurs for Economic and Commercial Co-operation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, held annually in one of those countries, to raise awareness about the fund. The Secretariat therefore aims to enhance promotion of the fund among entrepreneurs in mainland China, Macau and the Portuguese-speaking countries, informing them about the fund’s current status and application procedures, so projects that meet the fund’s requisites can be put forward and quickly processed.
– The activity of the Forum and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) sometimes seems to overlap, even though both institutions promote the Macau platform in relations between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. Do you believe there should be more distinction between what each is doing?
– The Forum Macau Permanent Secretariat, the IPIM and the respective MSAR public services have been enthusiastic about building the services platform for trade cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. The Secretariat and the IPIM pursue common cooperation goals, taking advantage of the Macau platform, mutually supporting each other and closely coordinating actions, specifically to foster business cooperation and exchanges. In the efforts to promote and enhance cooperation between companies from China, the Portuguese-speaking countries and Macau, the IPIM has played a key role in various activities in line with its specific focus.
– Do you believe the Pan-Pearl River Delta (9+2) is the region of China where small- and medium-sized enterprises from Portuguese-speaking countries should concentrate their efforts? Major investments and business pass through Beijing and not Macau. Shouldn’t this be a priority area so that entrepreneurs from China and the Portuguese- speaking countries can come into contact?
– The Permanent Secretariat’s main mission is to promote business cooperation between enterprises from mainland China and the Portuguese-speaking countries by means of the Macau platform. The region plays a key role in economic and trade exchanges between China and those countries, making best use of its cultural and linguistic advantages and the intermediation of local firms familiar with the respective markets. The Pan-Pearl River Delta and Macau regions work closely to achieve the prospects for promising cooperation with the Portuguese-speaking countries.
– Forum Macau has organized training programs for the Portuguese speaking countries. How do you assess the results of those programs and what do you think should be done in that area?
– Under the action plans and following the creation of the Forum Macau training center, five or six thematic symposiums have been held each year on subjects of mutual interest such as infrastructure, environmental protection, business law and public administration, among others. Thirty-one such symposiums have been held, with 791 participating trainees. The aim is to enhance cooperation and exchanges between mainland China, Macau and the Portuguese-speaking countries, where they have been much appreciated. The Secretariat will continue to consolidate and improve training in this area.
– Your relationship with Macau, Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking countries has been the focus of your career over the last 30 years. How do you see Macau’s role in southern China and the growing links with Guangdong province?
– Macau is in the phase of building ‘One Centre and One Platform’. Macau’s role as a platform will be increasingly consolidated and enriched by way of its specific linguistic and cultural advantages, close ties with Portuguese-speaking countries, and the promotion of economic and trade exchanges between mainland China and Macau. Forum Macau is a multilateral cooperation mechanism that is also complementary in the area of bilateral cooperation. I’m convinced that this mechanism can make a major contribution to boosting the role of the Macau platform, raising businesses’ awareness of the Portuguese-speaking countries and exploring more cooperation opportunities via multilateral exchanges arranged through Forum Macau.
– It’s hard to predict the future, but how do you think Forum Macau will evolve as a platform in relations between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries?
– Forum Macau has been in existence for 13 years. With the support of the respective governments of the participating countries – as well as the MSAR and the various sectors involved, along with the joint effort of the Permanent Secretariat’s staff – the Forum’s participating countries have, through the Macau platform, achieved multilateral exchanges with enriched content and various forms of cooperation, consolidating Macau’s role over the years. With the fifth ministerial conference, Forum Macau’s goals will be increasingly oriented toward pragmatism, and its role and functions ever more relevant.  MDT/Macauhub