CityU Macau Held International Academic Symposium, Look ahead at the Development of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries
On 16 July 2021 at 10 a.m., as 40th Anniversary series of event, “2021 International Symposium on studies of China and African Portuguese-speaking Countries and Book Launch” coorganized by the Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries, Macau “One Belt One Road” Research Center of the City University of Macau, The Research Center for Information of “The Belt and Road” and Contemporary Portuguese-speaking Countries of the City University of Macau and Joaquim Chissano University in Mozambique, sponsored by the Macao Foundation, was held on the Taipa campus of the City University of Macau (CityU Macau).
Honorable guests who attended the Symposium included Xu Ting, Director of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office, Ju Tian, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao, Rafael Custódio Marques, Consulate General of Mozambique in Macau, Cheong Chok Man, Director of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, Ken Yang, Coordinator of the Office for Personal Data Protection, Chan Meng Kam, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and CityU Macau Council Chairman, Paulo Jorge Rodrigues do Espírito Santo, and He Meng, respectively Deputy Secretary-General (appointed by Portuguese-speaking countries) and Coordinator of the Executive Office, Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, Carlos Roberto Xavier, Head of Education Department, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Yau Yun Wah, Head of the Economic Activities Development Department, Economic and Technology Development Bureau, Antonio Lei, Senior Manager of the Lusophone Markets Economic and Trade Promotion Department, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Ng Mei Kun, Division of Research and Publications, Cultural Affairs Bureau etc.
Rector Jun Liu of CityU Macau said in his speech that because of historical reasons, Macao had been performing the functions of a “Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” and playing the role of a unique hub. As a key academic unit, CityU Macau’s Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries had been focusing on research and talent cultivation related to China and Portuguese-speaking countries, leveraging Macao’s characteristics and the advantages of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and had developed into an incubation base and a think tank platform with unique features for research on individual countries and on regions. Rector Liu pointed out that to meet the demand for research on Portuguese-speaking countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, CityU Macau had launched research on Mozambique and Timor-Leste at the previous two Symposiums and the focus of the current Symposium would be research on Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, continuing to serve the country in its diplomacy.
Rector José Magode of Joaquim Chissano University delivered a speech online. He talked about the long close China-Mozambique friendship formed long ago and the consolidated as the two pursued respective development in recent years. He hoped that the Symposium would be an opportunity for the two universities to enhance academic exchange and research cooperation, and an opportunity to diversify the forms of cooperation in education between Mozambique and Macao so that the cooperation in different areas between the two places would be deepened.
Two academic works were published at the Symposium: “Country Report on Guinea-Bissau”s National situation” and “China and Portuguese-speaking Small Island States: From sporadic bilateral exchanges to a comprehensive multilateral platform” were announced by Director Xu Ting, Dr Chan Meng Kam, Consulate General Rafael Custódio Marques, Deputy Secretary-General Paulo Jorge Rodrigues do Espírito Santo, Rector Jun Liu and authors of the books, Prof Ip Kuai Peng, Associate Professor Francisco B. S. José Leandro and Dr Wang Xin.
Prof Ip Kuai Peng, CityU Macau’s Pro-Rector and Dean of the Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries, said that “Country Report on Guinea-Bissau’s National situation” presented the cooperation and development between Guinea-Bissau and China in politics, economics and other areas as well as the important role of Macao in the economic and trade cooperation between Guinea-Bissau and China. He called for the academic sector to play a more important role in the development of Macao’s Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, strengthen the research by think tanks and talent cultivation targeting eight Portuguese-speaking countries, respond proactively to the needs and requirements raised by Mainland China and Portuguese speaking countries, provide more forward looking, targeted and implementation policy recommendations concerning issues such as Macao’s dual cycles of connection with both Mainland and the world, participation in the Greater Bay Area and “Belt and Road” etc., support Macao in its integration with the overall national development and make greater contributions to the country’s development into a modern and powerful country.
Francisco B. S. José Leandro, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean at the Institute for Research on Portuguese Speaking Countries said that “China and Portuguese-speaking Small Island States: From sporadic bilateral exchanges to a comprehensive multilateral platform” focused on the historical relations between China and Portuguese-speaking Small Island States before the latter became independent countries, looked back and the development of diplomatic relations between the two and then went on to explore the opportunities arising from the development of bilateral relations from the perspectives of blue economy and partnership. In addition, the book put forward constructive suggestions with respect to the development of tourism of the developing island states from the perspective of national brand names and tourism marketing. Some authors conducted in-depth research on the developing island states from the angles of geopolitics, ocean governance, and agriculture based on their own research backgrounds.
Xu Yingzhen, Chinese Ambassador in São Tomé and Príncipe delivered a keynote speech. She congratulated CityU Macau’s Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries for its news achievements and its contributions to Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. She also spoke positively of CityU Macau’s work of forming a bridge to enhance the mutual understanding between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and provide new elements to Macao Service Platform by conducting research on Portuguese-speaking countries. Ambassador Xu then talked about the development of São Tomé and Príncipe in recent years and the friendship and unity between both the governments and people of China and São Tomé and Príncipe demonstrated through the China’s assistance by provision of anti-epidemic supplies since the Covid-19 outbreak. Finally, she encouraged CityU Macau to continue to conduct more in-depth research on Portuguese-speaking countries to provide valuable references to the academic sector, to provide information to enterprises and the general public, and, to provide intelligence support to governments.
Guo Ce, Chinese Ambassador in Guinea-Bissau told participants that China and Guinea-Bissau had developed good bilateral relations in recent years and worked together to protect the legitimate rights of developing countries, gaining fruitful achievement in cooperation in fishery, agriculture and health care. With deeper exchange between the two countries, he hoped that more new pages would be turned in more areas. Ambassador Guo commended CityU Macau’s Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries for launching the project and said the publication, being the most comprehensive Chinese book about Guinea-Bissau, would help expand the influence of Guinea-Bissau and create good conditions for investment in Guinea-Bissau by enterprises and individuals. He pointed out that as a platform connecting China and Portuguese-speaking countries, Macao would be able to make contributions in the future and he hoped that CityU Macau would keep up its efforts to contribute to development the bilateral relations between China and Guinea-Bissau and support the common destiny for mankind of China and Africa.
In the afternoon, scholars from a number of universities, including Tsinghua University, Autonomous University of Lisbon, Catholic University of Lisbon, University of Coimbra and University of São Tomé and Príncipe etc., exchanged views either online or on site on issues such as humanistic exchange between China and Portugal, sustainable development of Portuguese-speaking countries, outlook for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Other guests who attended the Symposium included Maria João Bonifácio, Coordinator of the Liaison Office and Representative of Portugal, Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau), Eduardo Velasco Galiano, Representative of Angola, Nuno Miguel Melo Furtado, Representative of Cabo Verde, Malam Becker Camará, Representative of Guinea-Bissau, Francisca Torcida Reino, Representative of Mozambique, Gika Makeba da Graça Simão, Representative of São Tomé and Príncipe, Danilo Henriques, Representative of Timor-Leste, Iong Nin Fai, Acting Division Head, Macao Economic and Technology Development Bureau, representatives of the Institute of European Studies of Macao, International Lusophone Markets Business Association, Macau University of Science and Technology and CityU Macau’s leaders, teachers and students etc.
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