The 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), known as Forum Macao, will be held in Macao from 21 to 23 April inclusive.

The three-day Ministerial Conference will include an opening ceremony, ministerial meetings, signing of the Strategic Plan for Economic and Trade Co-operation (2024-2027), and an entrepreneur conference between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The Ministerial Conference will outline the development vision and direction for cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries for the period until 2027, furthering Macao’s function as a commercial and trade service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

Forum Macao was founded in Macao in October 2003. It resulted from an initiative by the China’s Central Government (Ministry of Commerce), with collaboration from the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government. Forum Macao involves nine Portuguese-speaking countries, namely Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste.

Since the establishment of Forum Macao, there have so far been five Ministerial Conferences and an Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting, all of them held in Macao. The meetings have advanced intergovernmental cooperation in a number of areas between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, including on: trade and investment; production capacity; development cooperation; human resources; medical and health matters; and education and cultural affairs. These efforts have helped further Macao’s role as commercial and trade service platform serving China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, while bringing about greater opportunities for Macao’s appropriate economic diversification.