Members of the Macau-based Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries and representatives of Macau’s English- and Portuguese-speaking media pose on the sidelines of a Media Spring Luncheon at Grand Emperor Hotel on Friday. The deputy secretary-general of the Permanent Secretariat, Ding Tian, told the media during the luncheon that the hosting of the forum’s ministerial-level conference in Macau this year still depended on the “evolution of the situation”. However, he was quick to add that that “the preparatory work never stopped.” He also said that the forum’s secretary-general would be appointed by the central government in due course. The forum’s previous secretary-general, Yu Yingzhen, ended her posting to Macau in September. Yu had headed the forum for four years. The forum’s last, usually triennial ministerial-level conference was held in Macau in 2016. The conference originally slated for 2019 was postponed for one year because of the Macau’s Legislative Assembly and chief executive elections in that year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year’s conference needed to be postponed sine die. Informed sources have told The Macau Post Daily that the forum may be held as a virtual conference this year if the novel coronavirus crisis has still not subsided by the autumn.
Customarily, the forum’s conferences were held in the autumn.
The previous conferences were held in 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2016. Premier Li Keqiang attended the conference in 2016. The forum is overseen by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) in Beijing. The forum, which was launched by the central government with its first conference in 2003, comprises China as the host nation and eight Portuguese-speaking countries: Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Portugal, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Princípe.
Caption: Staff Reporter – Photo: GASPF
