On October 23, a delegation led by João Moura, the Secretary of State for Agriculture from Portugal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, visited the Permanent Secretariat of Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao). Both sides exchanged views on leveraging Macao’s platform advantages to deepen co-operation in the agricultural sector among mainland China, Macao, and Portugal.

Secretary-General Ji Xianzheng briefed the visitors on the operational mechanisms of Forum Macao and its Permanent Secretariat. He noted that Portugal is an important economic and trade partner for mainland China and Macao, and expressed hope for jointly implementing the Strategic Plan for Economic and Trade Co-operation. This would further enhance Macao’s role as a platform to promote co-operation in the trade of agro-food products and agricultural production between China and Portugal, benefiting the peoples of both countries.

Secretary of State João Moura praised the achievements of Forum Macao and the Macao platform in fostering exchanges and co-operation between the two sides. He highlighted that Macao serves as an important gateway to mainland China’s market, while Portugal is a key portal to the European market, with complementary advantages. The Portuguese side welcomes Chinese enterprises to explore the European market. He emphasized the tremendous potential for co-operation in areas such as agricultural technology and food safety, expressing hope to introduce Chinese technologies and strengthen scientific research collaboration.

The delegation toured the exhibition hall of the Complex of Commerce and Trade Co-operation Platform for China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, gaining a deeper understanding of Macao’s role as a bridge and platform in promoting cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.