The 1st China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Economic and Trade Expo (Macao) (1st C-PLPEX), the 28th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (28th MIF) and the Macao Franchise Expo 2023 (2023MFE) will be held concurrently for four consecutive days from Thursday through next Sunday at The Venetian’s Cotai Expo.
Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) President Vincent U U Sang said yesterday during a press conference that the three events will take up four exhibition halls covering two floors, with a total area of 37,000 square metres, up by 26 percent from last year, adding that the simultaneous trade fairs were expected to comprise over 1,200 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, among them 261 from Portuguese-speaking countries, with 76 from Brazil.
The three events, which “will sustain their positioning as a platform connecting China and Portuguese-speaking countries”, comprise 20 exhibition areas, according to the press conference.
C-PLPEX, which, U pointed out, is one of the agenda items proposed by Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during the Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the Forum Macao in April last year, will showcase products and services from the mainland and nine Portuguese-speaking countries, covering sectors including technological innovation, modern finance, investment promotion, tourism, cultural creation, food and agricultural products, while the city’s four new key industries, collectively known as “1+4”, – big health, modern finance, high-tech, and conventions and exhibitions as well as culture and sport – will continue as one of the features of exhibitions and business matching sessions in this year’s events.
U also said that this year’s MIF has invited Shandong, an economic powerhouse in the nation’s north, as the Partner Province, which will hold a string of activities including the Shandong-Macau Economic and Trade Cooperation and Exchange Conference at MIF, adding that other provinces such as Fujian and Jiangsu will continue to organise large promotion and exchange activities with Portuguese-speaking countries during the fair.
In addition, according to U, the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin remains in the foreground also this year, with a number of multi-venue events arranged and visits to the zone planned for the participating attendees.
U said he hoped that the three events would prove a success through their highlights under the principle of “attracting investment and achieving empowerment with exhibitions”.
In order to enhance the efficacy of “promoting exhibitions through conferences” and “attracting investment through exhibitions”, the press conference, held at the Pavilion of the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform in the Forum Macao Complex in Nam Van, noted that more than 60 activities will be held during the three events “harnessing a wider variety of digital technologies”, including nine themed matching sessions, four multi-venue events to be held in Macau and Hengqin, and a number of forums and concurrent activities, which “will jointly leverage the advantages of the commercial and trade platform”.
U pointed out that along with the increased number of exhibitors to the four-day events this year, he expected the total budget of MIF and MFE among the three events to be lower by 18 percent compared to that of last year, adding that thanks to the cancellation of COVID-19 pandemic-related travelling restrictions, he expected the number of mainland exhibitors and those from Portuguese-speaking countries to increase 19 percent and 24 percent respectively.
U said he expected the number of deals to be signed at the three events to reach 80 to 90 percent of that last year.
Lin Guohua, deputy director-general of the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said in a speech by video link: “We have formed a delegation of more than 100 people led by provincial leaders, including people from all walks of life from government entities, scientific research institutions, leading enterprises, demonstration parks for open development and agricultural production and processing enterprises,” adding she hoped that through in-depth exchanges, the two sides will further deepen understanding and create more opportunities for cooperation with Macau and Portuguese-speaking countries in such fields as international agricultural trade, agricultural science and technology, financial investment, and international logistics.
The first day of the events is open only to trade visitors, while the events will be open to the general public with free admission from Friday to next Sunday.
The organisers of the 1st China-Portuguese-Speaking Countries Economic and Trade Expo (Macao) (1st C-PLPEX), 28th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (28th MIF) and Macao Franchise Expo 2023 (2023MFE), including Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) President Vincent U U Sang (fourth from left), give a press conference at the Pavilion of the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform in Nam Van yesterday.
– Photo: Yuki Lei
