São Tome and Príncipe was admitted on Wednesday as member of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau), announced the secretary general of the institution, Xu Yingzhen at the end of a meeting held in Macau.

At the meeting, attended by ambassadors of the Portuguese-speaking countries accredited in China, members of the Chinese government, the Macau government and officials of Forum Macau, São Tome and Príncipe was already represented by the coordinator of the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communities , Djazalde Pires dos Santos Aguiar.

São Tome and Príncipe was not a member of Forum Macau from its inception by China in October 2003 as it had diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a situation that changed in late 2016 when it re-established relations with Beijing and severed ties with Taipei.

A Forum Macau statement said the integration of São Tome e Príncipe in Forum Macau was unanimously approved by the other members present at the meeting.

At the meeting, the first since the conclusion of the 5th Ministerial Conference in October, which was attended by Prime Minister Li Keqiang, discussed the actions undertaken in 2016 and analysed the steps taken with a view to putting the results the conference into practice.

The meeting also presented the new Deputy Secretaries General of Forum Macau: Ding Tian (nominated by China), Rodrigo Brum (nominated by the Portuguese-speaking countries) and Echo Chan (nominated by the Macau government).

Also present at the meeting were the new delegates from Portugal and Brazil, Maria João Bonifácio and Rodrigo Mendes Araújo, respectively.

Representatives from Angola, Brazil, China, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste (East Timor) approved the schedule of activities for 2017 to promote exchanges and economic and trade cooperation, seeking to drive productive capacity, stimulate training of human resources, boost trade and investment, developing Macau’s role as a platform and promoting Forum Macau. (macauhub)