CityU holds successful seminar on China’s Socialist Modernisation: Development of Relations between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries

Under the support of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR (Commissioner's Office), the City University of Macau (CityU) held a thematic seminar on China’s Socialist Modernization: Development of Relations between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries in a hybrid format of online and on-campus setting. Commissioner Liu Xianfa delivered his address at the conference. The seminar invited scholars from Brazil, Portugal, Angola, German, mainland China, and Macao and representatives of thirteen academic institutions to deliver remarks. They were Mr. António Martins da Cruz, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal; Mr. Elias Jabbour, author of the China:O socialismo do século XXI I (Translation: China: Socialism in the 21st Century); Dr. Wang Huaichao, former Education Director of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC cum Director of the Department of Social Science Research. The conference was attended by about 80 people, including representatives from the SAR Government, local think tanks, businesses, and medias, as well as faculty and students from universities.

Commissioner Liu Xianfa said that modernization had been the common goal of the world since modern times. The Chinese Communist Party (CPC) had led the Chinese people to achieve national independence and liberation and eventually found the path towards prosperity; China’s modernization path created two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability that was hard to find elsewhere in the world. In his words, China’s modernization was a modernization under the CPC’s leadership, a modernization with a vast population, a modernization with shared prosperity for all people, a modernization with a balance between material and spiritual civilization, a modernization with a harmonious co-existence between mankind and nature, a modernization with peaceful development, and a modernization for mutual benefit.

Commissioner Liu Xianfa stressed that the 20th National Congress signified CPC’s dedication to push forward national rejuvenation through modernization with Chinese characteristics; build a shared future for mankind with the world; promote human civilization and create a better world with joint effort. As the bridge between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, Macao should seize the opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone, and collaborations between Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao, to facilitate moderate diversification of Macao’s economy and promote Macao’s contribute to steering national development. With this momentum, he said Macao’s role as the exchange platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries would be further extended and optimized, allowing the two sides to learn from each other and gain mutual benefit from the modernization process.

In his remark, Mr. Lao Ngai Leong, Macao representative to the National People’s Congress and Chairman of the University Foundation, mentioned that remarkable progress had been gained after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, especially since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy 40 years ago; the achievements had been well recognized, and the development of China’s modernization had been regarded. China’s modernization had contributed to the progress of human civilization in a new way.

Mr. Lao Ngai Leong pointed out that China had long-standing friendly exchanges with Portuguese-speaking countries, and the prospects for pragmatic cooperation were vast. Macao had a unique advantage in promoting exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries as a bridge and exchange platform between the two sides. Macao's platform role would be strengthened with the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone. He pointed out that the seminar had played a positive role in promoting exchanges and mutual understanding between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

In her Speech, Acting Rector Kong Fanqing expressed gratitude to the Commissioner’s Office for the great support. She said the modernization of Chinese characteristics was well recognized and would be a driving force for developing relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. She hoped the seminar would yield fruitful results and inspire insights that serve the country’s modernized development and linkages with Portuguese-speaking countries, Belt and Road Initiatives, domestic and international economic circulation (dual circulation), and the Greater Bay Area.

[foogallery id="48017"]

Prof. Lei Heong Iok, President of the Council of Macao Polytechnic University, chaired the panel sharing themed on China's socialist modernization and Portuguese-speaking countries' social and economic development. Vice Rector Ip Kuai Peng chaired the following panel sharing themed on Macau's role in building a closer relationship between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

[foogallery id="48021"]

During the sharing session, Mr. Elias Jabbour gave an overview of his book: China:O socialismo do século XXI I (Translation: China: Socialism in the 21st Century). He said that China in the 21st century had developed a new economic and social form that respects the law of value and is committed to socialist characteristics, creating a miracle of development that had captured the world's attention.

According to his address, Mr. António Martins da Cruz said that the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao) stimulated the development of the Portuguese-speaking countries, including Portugal, have significantly benefited from it. Looking ahead, Macao as the exchange platform between the two sides would drive the post-epidemic recovery of the Portuguese-speaking countries.

Associate Dean Francisco Leandro of the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries said that Forum Macao should continue to promote multi-sectoral coordination, encourage cross-cultural exchanges and build bonds of friendship across the world.

Advogado Leonel Alberto Alves, President of Macau Sino-Luso International School, spoke highly of the “One Country, Two Systems” and its Portuguese language and culture preservation. He pointed out that Macao should leverage its unique advantage of Portuguese language competence to optimize its platform role.

Brazilian sinologist Giorgio Sinedino pointed out that people-to-people diplomacy should be the focal point to steer long-standing and stable cooperation between Brazil and China in culture and education.

Angolan representative João Verne Oliveira said that mutually beneficial cooperation is the key to successful cooperation between Chinese and Portuguese speaking countries.

[foogallery id="48028"]

The Director of Macau Post Daily, major English-language newspaper in Macao, Mr. Harald Brüning, said that Macao should fully implement President Xi Jinping’s instruction, give full play to Macao’s platform, promote the implementation of global development initiatives, and contribute to the world’s economic development and human progress.

Mr. José Luís de Sales Marques, President of the Institute of European Studies of Macau, said that Macao is a juncture for domestic and international economic circulation and should actively work in line with the national strategic outline and give full play to its unique advantages to build a pivot point to support the dual circulation policy.

Macao representative and international partner of King & Wood Mallesons law firm, Mr. José Lupi, said that Macao’s legal system is based on the rule of law and judicial independence under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”. According to him, Macao had outstanding advantages to further its role as a bridge and link as it shares similarities with Portuguese-speaking countries.

[foogallery id="48032"]

Dr. Wang Huaichao, Deputy Commissioner Sun Xiangyang, President Song Lei of China-Africa Development Fund, Vice-President Zhong Yi Seabra de Mascarenhas of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Foundation delivered remarks on contemporary socialism in the world, the achievement of the Forum Macao and Macao’s role in forging closer relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The seminar featured in-depth exchanges in a lively atmosphere and received positive responses. Participants affirmed the international significance and value of China's Socialist Modernisation. They agreed that this development pattern created a legacy which expanded the path of developing countries towards modernisation and provided a new approach for other countries that wished to accelerate their development while maintaining their independence, contributing Chinese wisdom and power to the progress of human civilisation.

Under the new context, Macao should leverage its role as a bridge and link between China and Portuguese-speaking countries to promote unity, development and win-win cooperation between the two sides in the modernisation process and working together towards a shared future for mankind.

 

Source: Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR