The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Lisbon, Zhao Bentang, welcomed a delegation of business leaders from Portuguese-speaking countries and Macao, aiming at strengthening cooperation.
The delegation that met with Zhao (pictured center-right) included the President of the Business Confederation of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CE-CPLP), Nelma Fernandes (center-left), CE-CPLP´s vice-president of the executive commision, Vitório Rosário Cardoso (left), as well as the Vice-President of the Luso-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Vice-President President of PORCHAM, Wu Zhiwei (right).
During the meeting with at the Chinese Embassy in Lisbon on the 21st of June, Fernandes briefed on a recent visit to Macau, Zhuhai and Hengqin within the framework of closer ties of cooperation between CE-CPLP, Forum de Macau, the Macao Government, the Sino-LAC Logistic Center and Industrial Park in the deep water port of Gao Lan in Zhuhai and the Deep Cooperation Center between Guangdong, Macao and Hengqin.
Nelma Fernandes made a very positive assessment of the meeting and told CLbrief that short-term plans include cooperating very closely with the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Commercial Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum de Macau), which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, “namely in terms of complementing the mobilization of the business sector of Member States in cooperation with Chinese companies”.
According to the recently elected CE-CPLP leader, the confederation plans to hold, next year, the first CPLP business summit abroad and soon in Macau.
In September or October, CE-CPLP will be present at business meetings in Macau within the framework of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Forum, she added.
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CE-CPLP is the only business organization mandated by all CPLP Member States to develop the fourth pillar of the CPLP which is the economic and business pillar.
The new CE-CPLP leadership is betting on cooperation with markets outside the CPLP and at the same time. For common historical reasons, China, via Macau, is considered a priority.
Vitório Cardoso is responsible for coordinating the approximation and cooperation with the Chinese market. Wu Zhiwei is a renowned Macau businessman who has played a pivotal role in contact with the Chinese business and government sector.
