The Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macau Ding Tian said on Wednesday that the territory has an irreplaceable role in cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and cultural exchange.

Ding, speaking at a meeting organised by the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) with the cooperation of Forum Macau, recalled that the value of trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries has been increasing year on year, from US$6.056 billion in 2002 to US$90.874 billion in 2016.

In turn, the executive member of IPIM, Glória Batalha Ung, said that from January to July of this year, trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries amounted to US$67.6 billion, corresponding to an increase of 31% over the same period of the previous year, and that to date Chinese companies’ investment in the Portuguese-speaking countries totals about US$50 billion.

Ung also presented the “Exhibition of Products and Services of Portuguese Language Countries – PLPEX 2017”, to be held between 19 and 21 October, inviting those present to take part and take advantage of this opportunity for direct contacts with companies from the Portuguese-speaking countries to develop their activities. (macauhub)