Equatorial Guinea will join the the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau), also known as Forum Macau, tomorrow, its Macau-based Secretary-General Ji Xianzheng revealed in an interview earlier this week.
Portuguese is one of the central African country's three official languages, alongside Spanish and French. However, Fang, a Bantu language, is the former Spanish colony's main language, spoken by some 85 percent of its 1.5 million inhabitants. Equatoguineans gained their country's independence from Spain in 1968. Equatorial Guinea is one of Africa's major oil exporters.
Jia said that a ceremony marking Equatorial Guinea's admission to Forum Macau will be held during tomorrow's online Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting, which will be held simultaneously via Macau and Beijing. Equatorial Guinea will raise the number of Forum Macau member countries to 10.
According to a statement by Forum Macau, the meeting will be themed "Cooperate to Fight Against the [COVID-19] Pandemic, Collaborate for Common Development". The meeting will also include a plaque-unveiling ceremony for the new China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Exchange Centre for Epidemic Prevention and end with a joint declaration signing ceremony at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex.
According to the statement, representatives from the participating countries will deliver speeches at the opening ceremony via video link. The topics will be, the statement noted, the strengthening of exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries concerning epidemic prevention work, and the joint promotion of economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 period.
The statement also underlined that the meeting "will seek to establish consensus regarding [Macau Forum's] role as a multilateral cooperation mechanism seeking to promote mutual development." It will also strive to enhance Macau's role as an exchange platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, covering areas such as trade, culture, and healthcare.
Since its establishment by China in conjunction with initially seven Portuguese-speaking countries in 2003 (Sao Tome and Principe joined later), "Forum Macau has achieved enormous progress in a number of areas: trade and investment; promotion of several industries; cultural exchanges; and strengthening of cooperation between the countries involved in Forum Macau," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Jia said in a separate interview with public broadcaster TDM that Forum Macau has still to reach its full potential. However, he stressed that trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries has grown 17 times since the forum was established 19 years ago.
From tomorrow, Forum Macau comprises China, Brazil, Angola Mozambique, Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Cape Verde (Cabo Verde), and Sao Tome and Principe. Portuguese-speaking countries have about 290 million inhabitants, about 73 percent of them in Brazil (212 million). Portuguese is the only official language or one of the official languages in those countries which also include a large number of indigenous languages.
Caption: This undated handout photo shows the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Nam Van (Praia Grande) near Macau Tower. Photo courtesy of Forum Macau
