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Macao’s Role as the Sino-PSC Platform to be Fortified with the Construction of “Three Centres”
Thanks to the historical, linguistic and cultural factors, Macao has been serving as the Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and engaged in extensive cultural and economic co-operation with eight Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs, including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste), which span across four continents and have a total population of over 260 million.
Macao has been demonstrating its strengths and its own characteristics. It also enjoys diverse supports given by The Central People’s Government, which has boosted its development to serve as a platform between China and PSCs. The 1st Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries initiated by the Central Government was held in Macao in October 2003, with the Permanent Secretariat and Training Centre established later in the same city. The Conference has been held 5 times to date. During the 4th Ministerial Conference of the Forum in 2013, the Central Government announced its support for Macao to construct the “Three Centres”: a Commercial and Trade Service Centre for SMEs of China and PSCs, a Food Product Distribution Centre for PSCs, and a Convention and Exhibition Centre for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and PSCs, which have become the backbone for the city’s growth into a China-PSCs platform.
Online and offline services offered in sync
The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) has been working closely with other relevant departments on facilitating the construction of the “Three Centres”. With regard to building the “Convention and Exhibition Centre for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and PSCs”, IPIM seeks to create business and trade opportunities for Mainland China, Macao and PSCs through the MICE events in Macao. In recent years, Macao has been hosting large MICE events with an increasing number of PSC elements. For instance, the Portuguese-speaking Countries Pavilion has been available in the Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) since 2014. The Portuguese Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (Macao) (PLPEX) has been held as an individual event since 2017. In 2020, PLPEX was approved by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and was held concurrently with another two UFI-approved international events, MIF and Macao Franchise Expo (MFE). By combining the physical event with live streams, online expos and online promotion seminars, the three events allowed overseas traders, including those from PSCs, to connect and interact with their counterparts from other regions despite being unable to travel to Macao.
In terms of developing the “Food Product Distribution Centre for PSCs”, IPIM has established a PSC food product exhibition network that covers both Mainland China and Macao, of which, the 4,200-square-feet Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Products Exhibition Centre located in the Tap Seac Square came into operation on 31 March 2016. With the aim of promoting PSCs’ products and helping the relevant enterprises expand their market in Mainland China, the Centre showcases an array of food and beverages from eight PSCs, including organic food, snacks, canned food, organic agricultural products, coffee and alcoholic beverages, all of which are either directly imported by enterprises from these PSCs or distributed by agents from different regions. In 2021, the Centre added non-food products from PSCs to its exhibition portfolio to promote a more comprehensive range of quality products from PSCs to traders worldwide.
Each product exhibited in the Centre has its own description tag with a unique QR code, which directs customers to the detailed information about the product, its supplier and their contact details that are contained in the database on the Economic & Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (www.platformchinaplp.mo), whereby customers can proceed to arrange business meetings with the supplier. Some of the products can be purchased online and collected in Mainland China.
The personnel stationed at the Centre also provide assistance in commercial meetings, matching, business communication and other aspects. By providing Chinese and Portuguese bilingual information and assistance in all steps of achieving business success, the Centre shapes and reinforces Macao’s role as the Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and PSC. In addition, the Centre invites local agents of PSC foods to run promotional activities from time to time, and provides venue for chambers of commerce and enterprises to launch their products and hold events, in a bid to give more exposure to PSC food products and create more business opportunities.
As for building the “Commercial and Trade Service Centre for SMEs of China and PSCs”, IPIM has been providing enterprises in Mainland China, Macao and PSCs with assistance in regard to initial liaison, business partner search and matching through the China-PSC Business Compass, a service launched in 2018, helping address practical issues over the course of their business development in China and PSCs. Particularly, while under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020, IPIM has continued the China-PSC Business Compass services with intensified efforts in arranging video conferences, online communications and meetings. In addition, IPIM held the Portuguese-speaking Countries Business Opportunities Series – Online Promotion Session in July 2020 to introduce the investment and business environment of PSCs with videos and info-graphics published on social platforms and other digital media. In August 2020, IPIM launched the feature series “The Journey to Success in Portuguese” on the Economic & Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, which introduced the successful cases of business matching and co-operation facilitated by the Portal. IPIM has also participated in a number of live streams and online meetings to promote the strengths of Macao as the platform between China and PSCs.
PLPEX was approved by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) in 2020
Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Products Exhibition Centre in Guangzhou
The 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries was held in Macao
Featured Products of Portuguese-speaking Countries and Macao Sales Campaign
China-PSC Business Compass offers a series of liaison, matching and other support services for enterprises and institutions interested in developing markets in China and PSCs
