The Permanent Secretariat of Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) held a meeting yesterday, pledging to carry out various tasks this year with the aim of ensuring the implementation of the Action Plan for Economic and Trade Cooperation (2024-2027), according to a statement by the Permanent Secretariat.
The Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries is known as Forum Macao for short.
Forum Macao’s Permanent Secretariat is headquartered in Macau.
Forum Macao comprises China, its initiator and prime mover, and nine Portuguese-speaking countries – Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste (East Timor).
Forum Macao was launched in October 2003 in Macau, with its Permanent Secretariat established here in 2004. Since then, Forum Macao has held six Ministerial Conferences in Macau, during which six action plans for economic and trade cooperation were signed.
Forum Macao’s sixth Ministerial Conference was held in April last year, during which the Action Plan for Economic and Trade Cooperation (2024-2027) was signed.
In addition to officials of Forum Macao’s Permanent Secretariat, according to the statement, yesterday’s meeting was also attended by those from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the MSAR, and the MSAR government, as well as ambassadors of Portuguese-speaking countries to China.
During the meeting, which was chaired by Forum Macao’s Permanent Secretariat Secretary-General Ji Xianzheng, members of China’s delegation, as well as members of the delegations from the nine Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), presented the progress of their respective implementation of the Action Plan for Economic and Trade Cooperation (2024-2027).
In addition, members of China’s delegation also presented the progress of the nation’s implementation of its 20 new measures aiming to promote economic and trade cooperation between China and the PSCs.
During the meeting, according to the statement, Ji presented the Permanent Secretariat’s plan for its tasks and measures to be carried out this year.
Yesterday’s meeting was the 20th regular meeting of the Permanent Secretariat since its establishment. According to public broadcaster TDM, about 50 representatives attended the one-day meeting.
According to the statement, representatives attending yesterday’s meeting said that the plan presented by Ji will help ensure the implementation of the results made at Forum Macao’s sixth Ministerial Conference.
Ji told reporters after the meeting that this year’s activities will include fact-finding visits to at least two provinces in the Chinese mainland and three Portuguese-speaking countries, apart from holding five colloquia in Macau. Ji also said that a number of officials from Portuguese-speaking countries would visit China, including Macau, this year, starting with the working visit to China by Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, which will include Macau, next week.
This handout photo released by Forum Macao’s Permanent Secretariat yesterday shows its meeting held at its headquarters, the Forum Macao Complex, yesterday.
