The Entrepreneurship Conference, a supporting event of the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), successfully concluded on April 23 with the theme of "Promoting New Trends in Digital Transformation and Sharing Opportunities for Green Development."
Nearly 700 leaders and representatives from governments, trade promotion organizations, chambers of commerce, and enterprises from the Chinese mainland, nine Portuguese-speaking countries, and Hong Kong and Macao SARs attended the event.
Guo Tingting, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce of China, stated at the forum that Macao has actively established a high-level and comprehensive platform for trade and commercial cooperation, playing a pivotal role in economic and trade exchanges, enterprise services, exhibitions, cultural displays, and talent training between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs).
Guo furthered that with the ongoing development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, new opportunities for further economic and trade cooperation are emerging. The Ministry of Commerce will continue to support Macao in fulfilling its role as a bridge between China and PSCs.
Lei Wai Nong, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government, emphasized that Macao's focus on promoting the diversified industrial development strategy will provide additional growth opportunities for enterprises from China and PSCs. The accelerated development of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has created favorable conditions for establishing an international trade center between China and PSCs. The new model of "Macao Platform + International Resources + Hengqin Space + Shared Outcomes" will become increasingly evident.
Zhang Shaogang, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), mentioned that substantial progress has been made between China and Portuguese-speaking business communities in areas such as infrastructure, clean energy, finance and insurance, and healthcare. With the continuous acceleration of the development of the GBA and the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Portuguese-speaking businesses can leverage the Macao platform to deeply connect with the mainland market and enhance exchanges in emerging fields like digital transformation and the green economy.
Zhang added, the CCPIT will organize the Second China International Supply Chain Promotion Expo in Beijing this November to promote the optimization and upgrading of industrial chains and supply chains between China and various countries, including Portuguese-speaking nations.
Francisco Tadeu Barbosa de Alencar, Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Micro and Small Business of the Federative Republic of Brazil, stated that China and Brazil are important economic and commercial partners. He expressed his hope to utilize the China-Portuguese platform to enable small businesses to participate more actively in digital transformation, contributing significantly to fundamental innovation, employment, and production.
The forum also featured two thematic discussions, inviting representatives from leading enterprises, trade promotion organizations, and chambers of commerce, covering finance, high-tech, trade, and environmental protection. The participants shared their insights on topics such as "Accelerating Digital Transformation to Unlock New Momentum for Industrial Development" and "Promoting the Green Economy for Sustainable Development."
Many participants expressed that future green development efforts can align with Macao's proposed diversified development strategy, continuously enhancing the development of new technologies, and better leveraging Macao's role as a platform for China-PSCs cooperation.
Reporter | Nan, Abby, Qin Shaolong
Editor | Xie Miaofeng, Ou Xiaoming, Steven, James
Photo: gcs.gov.mo
