On November 5, the fourth Ministerial Conference under the China-Portuguese Forum sponsored by MOFCOM and undertaken by Macao SAR wrapped up successfully. Gao Hucheng, Minister of Commerce, together with Mangueira, Angolan Minister of Justice, the Consul General of Brazil in Hong Kong and Macao, Brito, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Energy of Cape Verde, Sambuu, Minister of Economic and Regional Integration of Guinea-Bissau, Minister of Industry and Trade of Mozambique, Ferreira, Secretary of State for Foreign Cooperation of Portugal, Lemos, Secretary of State for Private Territory Development of Timor-Leste, and Tan Boyuan, Economic and Financial Secretary of Macau SAR, attended the news briefing after the conference.

Gao Hucheng said when introducing the achievements of this conference, that over the ten years and under the joint efforts of the participant countries, the Forum has become an important platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. 1. Trade expanded continuously. In 2012, trade volume between China and Portuguese countries reached USD 128.79 billion, 10.7 times larger than that of 2003, the year when the Forum was initiated. 2. Investment and Cooperation developed rapidly. By the end of 2012, China’s non-financial direct investment in Portuguese-speaking countries reached USD 1.97 billion, 35times that of 2003. 3. The six new measures announced by China on the previous Ministerial Conference were implemented successfully. Over the past three years, China provided Asian, African and Portuguese-speaking countries under the Forum with accumulated 2.66 billion RMB of concessional loan, 1,150 government scholarships, and 2,238 training places for professional and technical personnel. All these were beyond Chinese commitments. Besides, China-Portugal Cooperation and Development Fund was officially founded, and the initial fund has been raised in place. China also provided Asian, African and Portuguese-speaking countries under the Forum with 10 million RMB of medical facilities, and the commitments of providing goods and materials for bilateral agricultural cooperation projects have been fulfilled. Therefore, China gained wide favorable comments from Asian, African and Portuguese-speaking countries under the Forum.

Gao Hucheng said that, China’s new government pays great attention to the economic and trade cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries. Vice Premier Wang Yang attended the conference and made a speech, announcing a series of measures to promote cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in the future three years: China will continuously provide 1.8 billion RMB of concessional loan to Asian, African and Portuguese-speaking countries under the Forum; provide each country with a education and training facility, a solar lightning application project and a batch of broadcast, television and new devices; dispatch 210 medical staff; provide 2000 training places for professional and technical personnel and 1800 government scholarships to Portuguese-speaking countries under the Forum; encourage Chinese enterprises to build economic and cooperation zone in the Portuguese-speaking country with willingness; probe into developing three-parties cooperation in the fields of education and training, agriculture, environmental protection, and new energy. The implementation of these measures will inject new vitality to the further strengthening of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Mr. Gao said that the conference made a review on the efforts and achievements made by the members over the past decades, and the two parties had a sincere exchange of views on strengthening of bilateral cooperation, and signed the Action Program on Economic and Trade Cooperation (2014-2016), and much important consensus was reached. Firstly, a new goal for bilateral trade and investment is set. The Program proposes that by 2016, bilateral trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries to reach US$ 160 billion, and to achieve a relatively fast growth of two-way investment in three years. Secondly, pragmatic cooperation is further enriched. Not only a separate section on public health is added in the Program, there are more specific goals and more pragmatic content for the existing cooperation. For example, it is proposed, for the first time, to establish trade and economic cooperation zones with enterprises as the main part, to strengthen environmental protection, particularly in the area of clean energy, and to import certain number of films from each other. It is further emphasized to improve investment environment, and to facilitate enterprises in bilateral visits, investment and businesses. It is further clarified to support the promotions of infrastructure projects and plans of each country through the China-Portugal Forum; further strengthen cooperation in teaching of Portuguese and Chinese, and deepen cooperation in human resources development; it is further emphasized to deepen cooperation in financial institutions, and enhance promotion of China-Portugal Cooperation and Development Fund.

Thirdly, give further play to the role of Macao as the bridge between Mainland China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Over the last ten years since the initiation of China-Portugal Forum, Macao has played an irreplaceable role in economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries through playing its advantages in language, culture and geographic advantages under the leadership and support of the SAR Government. It is reiterated in the Program to further give play the role of Macao as the platform proposing to hold exhibitions targeting on Portuguese-speaking countries in Macao, and explore to establish a business center for SMEs of the members of the forum and a food distribution center for Portuguese-speaking countries, and push forward to drive Macao to become the place of arbitration for business disputes between enterprises of China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Representatives from other countries agreed that the Program will be conductive to enhance the economic competitiveness of all countries, and will play an important role in future, hoping to continue to strengthen economic and trade dialogue in line with the principles of in the principles of equality and mutual benefit, advantages complementary to each other and diversity so as to enhance economic and trade cooperation and promote common development and prosperity. They also agreed to play their role to promote the implementation of the measures of the Program under the framework of the China-Portugal Forum, so as to enhance the development of multilateral and bilateral economic and trade relations. Then Mr. Gao and representatives from other members answered questions from media.

Mr. Gao also met with Rui Mangueira, the Angolan Minister of Justice. The two parties reviewed the achievements in bilateral economic and trade cooperation in recent years, and had an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral cooperation in such areas as trade, investment and infrastructure, and reached consensus.

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