Macao serves as bridge to boost trade, cultural exchanges between China, Portuguese-speaking countries

Policemen patrol outside the venue of the opening ceremony for the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in Macao, south China, Oct. 8, 2016. The conference will be held in Macao on Oct. 11-12. [Cheong Kam Ka/Xinhua]

MACAO -- Macao will open the fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs) on Tuesday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the opening ceremony of the meeting.

The Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries was created in October 2003 in Macao.

It was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China, hosted by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government and with the joint participation of seven PSCs: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor.

"Since the establishment of the forum, Macao plays a role as a bridge of economic cooperation and peoples' friendship," said Ye Guiping, a council member of Research Center for Development Strategy of Macao.

"The forum has brought economic profit to the Chinese mainland, Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries, strengthened the relationship between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and deepened friendship among their peoples," Ye added.

Since 2003, four ministerial conferences have been held with each one concluding with an Action Plan for Economic and Commercial Cooperation to consolidate the targets and goals of the meetings.

The implementation of those action plans not only boosted the cooperation between China and PSCs, but also made Macao well known for its role as a platform.

In November 2013 when the fourth ministerial conference was held, the Chinese government promoted the development of "an information-sharing platform for bilingual professionals and business cooperation, as well as exchanges and interaction between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries."

In the meantime, in the Economic and Trade Cooperation Action Plan (2014-2016), all participating countries agreed to establish three centers for economic and trade cooperation between China and PSCs in Macao. These are a commercial and trade service center for small- and medium-sized enterprises between China and PSCs, a food product distribution center for PSCs, and a center for conventions and exhibitions for economic and trade cooperation between China and PSCs.