Representatives of seven Portuguese-speaking countries, including Portugal, Brazil and Angola, President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) Jackson Chang, Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Zhang Wei, and delegates from Sao Tome and Principe’s Trade and Investment Promotion Agency signed a cooperation agreement  in Macao on October 19, which marks the island country in Central Africa’s official joining in the trade promotion cooperation mechanism between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The mechanism was founded by CCPIT, IPIM and trade and investment promotion agencies of seven Portuguese-speaking countries. The relevant parties signed the Agreement on Cooperation of Trade Promotion Agencies/ Chambers of Commerce and supplemental agreement in October, 2003 and November, 2013 respectively.

The mechanism is an important complement to the intergovernmental cooperation mechanism of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The relevant parties have made great efforts in promoting trade and investment cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, through jointly building an open platform of products and services information, group visits, training sessions, trade and economic seminars and business matchmaking meeting, etc.

Since Sao Tome and Principe resumed its diplomatic relations with China in December, 2016, CCPIT and IPIM have proactively advocated Sao Tome and Principe’s Trade and Investment Promotion Agency to join the trade promotion mechanism between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The signing of this agreement will further expand the economic and trade exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, contributing to boosting global economy.