Second Sino-Lusophone Forum opens

Second Ministerial Conference of the Economic Cooperation Forum between China and Portuguese-speaking countries opened this morning at the Macao East Asian Games Dome, with a ceremony officiated by State Councillor and State Council Secretary General, Mr Hua Jianmin, under the theme 'Deeper Cooperation and Mutual Development'. In his opening speech, Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah told the Forum that favourable factors such as the Closer Economical Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Macao's closer integration with the Pan-Pearl River Delta and its inscription on the World Heritage List, had made the territory better equipped as a business services platform. As the Forum gradually grew in prominence and influence, Macao's role as a bridge and springboard also gained increasing attention and recognition, said the Chief Executive. For his part, Minister of Commerce, Mr Bo Xilai said the volume of trade between China and the Lusophone countries would reach US$33 billlion this year, showing significant growth compared with the US$11 billlion in 2003. Mr Bo's counterparts from the seven Lusophone countries, namely Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, East Timor and Brazil, also addressed the Forum in the opening ceremony. The Vice Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil, Mr Ivan Ramalho, said that Brazil and China could complement each other in a number of industries. The Minister of Public Works, Transportation and Communication of Portugal, Mr Mário Lino, said co-operation between China and Portugal in various areas had enhanced since the last ministerial conference in 2003, and he expected yet better results in the next three years. The Minister of Commerce of Angola, Mr Joaquim Muafumua, the Minister of Economy, Growth and Competitiveness of Cape Verde, Mr João Pereira da Silva, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicraft of Guinea Bissau, Mr Domingos Pascoal Baticã, the Minister of Energy of Mozambique, Mr Salvador Namburete, and the Minister of Development of East Timor, Mr Areanjo da Silva expressed the importance they placed on the relationship with China and their desire to attract further investment from businesspeople in China. This year's event is aimed at enhancing dialogue on sustainable development and cooperation on different fronts between China and the Portuguese-speaking bloc. Since the Forum's first ministerial conference held in Macao three years ago, Sino-Lusophone trade and investments have expanded rapidly, with bilateral trade breaking the US$20 billion mark for the first time last year. The Second Ministerial Conference will end tomorrow, to be followed by the Expo Central China 2006, in Changsha, Hunan. The Chief Executive, the Minister of Commerce and the ministerial-level officials of the Lusophone countries are scheduled to leave Macao tomorrow for the exposition in Changsha.