A delegation from the “9+2” provinces and special administrative regions (SARs) that make up the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Region, is visiting Brazil to exchange ideas on the development and application of green energy and on new resources.

The Macao SAR and the other PPRD economies pay great attention to environmental protection and the development of green business sectors, while at the same time maintaining stable economic growth, said the head of the visiting delegation, the President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng.

His remarks were made on Tuesday (7 March) in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital. The comments were made during a tour of the headquarters at the Operations and Management Center of the Amazonian Protection System.

The delegation’s two-country tour – from 5 to 12 March – covers Brazil and Portugal. It was organised by the Macao SAR Government, and is an additional step in the ongoing effort to diversify trade and economic cooperation between mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries and Macao.

The PPRD Region comprises: the mainland provinces of Fujian; Jiangxi; Hunan; Guangdong; Guangxi; Hainan; Sichuan; Guizhou; Yunnan; along with the Hong Kong SAR; and the Macao SAR.

During the visit to the Operations and Management Center of the Amazonian Protection System, Mr Cheong mentioned that the Brazilian Government had increased its use of the latest technological tools such as data analysis, in order to maintain the sustainability of the Amazon River area.

The Director of the Management Center, Mr Rogério Guedes Soares, said the Brazilian government was keen to use the latest technology as a way to ensure effective management of the Amazon River and environmental protection projects relating to the area.

While on the site visit, the delegation was briefed regarding the facilities and equipment used to manage water resources. PPRD delegation members also shared insights with their hosts concerning the processes and challenges faced when conducting improvement projects in the Pearl River Delta area.

Following the tour, the delegation held a meeting on Tuesday afternoon with the head of the international affairs department of the Ministry of Environment, Mr Fernando Coimbra; and the head of environmental projects for the Ministry of the Planning, Budget and Management, Ms Tânia Delfino Ribeiro.

The deputy head of the visiting delegation – the president of an environmental science association from Sichuan Province – Ms Jiang Xiaoting, said the visit helped the PPRD delegation members gain a better understanding of Brazil’s successful experience in environmental management.

The visit also aimed to make better use of Macao’s close ties with Portuguese-speaking countries as a route to boosting further exchanges and cooperation between provinces and regions of the mainland and Portuguese-speaking countries, added Ms Jiang.

On Wednesday morning the PPRD delegation paid a visit to the Chinese Embassy in Brazil.

The delegation has now arrived in Manaus, in the north of Brazil, to gain a better understanding of environmental protection projects in the Amazon River area.

The delegation’s first official stop on its eight-day, two-country tour had been a meeting on Monday (6 March) in Brasilia, with the President of the Executive Board of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, Mr Roberto Jaguaribe.

Monday’s schedule also included an exchange session to discuss issues relating to environmental protection and the development of green sector. Those present included representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Brazil. Also attending were officials from, respectively: Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment; the country’s Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management; the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency; and the Operations and Management Center of the Amazonian Protection System; together with representatives from seven Brazilian environmental companies.