Beijing, 20 Jan (Xinhua) -- The 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Research Center for Portuguese-speaking Countries of the Regional National Research Institute of the University of International Business and Economics and the press conference of the "Report on the Development of Portuguese-speaking Countries (2021)" were held at the University of International Business and Economics a few days ago. Experts attending the meeting said that China and Portuguese-speaking countries have helped each other in the face of the challenges of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, practicing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and in the future, cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries is expected to reach a new level.
Wei Jianguo, member of the Senior Expert Committee of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges and former vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce, attended the meeting by video link. Wei Jianguo said that Portuguese-speaking countries are eager to strengthen cooperation with China in the field of technology. "Ports, roads, bridges, airports, highways, high-speed trains, and so on, all of this, there's a big article for us to do."
The "Development Report of Portuguese-speaking Countries (2021)" was released at the University of International Business and Economics on the 18th. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hao
Ji Xianzheng, Secretary-General of the Macao Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macau), attended the meeting via video and delivered a speech. Ji Xianzheng said that through the joint efforts of the participating countries and the promotion of the Macao SAR Government, Forum China and Portuguese-speaking Countries has been linking Chinese mainland, Macao and 8 Portuguese-speaking countries, so that all participants can establish a deeper friendship in helping each other, highlighting Macao's role as a platform for connecting China and Portuguese-speaking countries. This year is the second year of the construction of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and it is expected that the cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries will usher in a broader space for development under the new situation.
In response to the future trend of cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, Wang Cheng'an, chief expert of the Research Center for Portuguese-speaking Countries at the University of International Business and Economics, said: "In 2022, Portuguese-speaking countries distributed on four continents are still in a difficult period of development, the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic still exists, and it will take time to get rid of the shackles of economic recession. Nevertheless, he remains confident in China's cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries and believes that Portuguese-speaking countries will rely on their own endowments to carry out fruitful international cooperation to control and overcome difficulties.
Wang Cheng'an, chief expert of the Research Center for Portuguese-speaking Countries in China of the University of International Business and Economics, spoke at the press conference on the same day. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Hao
The Development Report for Portuguese-Speaking Countries (2021), compiled and released by the China Centre for the Study of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, describes the overall and country-specific economic and social development status and trends of eight Portuguese-speaking countries, including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and Timor-Leste, in 2019-2020. The report pointed out that in the face of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, China and Portuguese-speaking countries have supported each other, cooperated and overcome difficulties together, writing a historical chapter in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Wang Qiang, Vice President of the University of International Business and Economics, introduced that the Research Center for Portuguese-speaking Countries in China was established at the University of International Business and Economics on January 16, 2012, and has compiled the "Report on the Development of Portuguese-speaking Countries" for six consecutive years since 2014, jointly held several annual research conferences of Portuguese-speaking countries jointly with the China-Pacific Research Institute of Brazil and the Macao Institute of International Studies since 2017, and hosted the 2018 Seminar on the Promotion of Trade and Investment Cooperation among Portuguese-speaking Countries and the 2021 Seminar on Trade and Investment Facilitation in Portuguese-speaking Countries of the Ministry of Commerce. It has made positive contributions to promoting the development and cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Wei Jianguo hoped that the China Research Center for Portuguese-speaking Countries would grasp Macao's platform advantages, do a good job in exchanges between think tanks between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, conduct in-depth research on the development of Portuguese-speaking countries, and do a good job of "solving puzzles, making moves, and guiding the way" for the government, enterprises and people from all walks of life. At the same time, it is necessary to tell the Story of China to the outside world, so that overseas audiences can better understand China's initiative to jointly build the "Belt and Road" with other countries and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind.