MAPUTO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The "Entrepreneurs Meeting for Commercial and Economic Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries" was held on Friday in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, bringing together more than 350 government and business representatives from the Chinese mainland, Macao, Mozambique and other Portuguese-speaking countries to promote economic and trade cooperation.
The conference was co-organized by the Agency for the Promotion of Investment and Exports of Mozambique (APIEX), the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute of the Macao Special Administrative Region (IPIM), under the theme "Investment in Logistics Infrastructure as an Engine for Development." The event featured investment opportunity roundtables, keynote speeches and business matchmaking sessions.
A total of 24 cooperation agreements were signed during the conference, with a combined value of about 150 million U.S. dollars, covering infrastructure, trade, professional services and academic cooperation.
Mozambique's Minister of Transport and Logistics Joao Matlombe said in his remarks that Mozambique is endowed with abundant natural resources and energy potential, while the Chinese market's growing openness to African products has created historic opportunities for the country.
Luis Jose Machava, director general of APIEX, said that China and Mozambique have long enjoyed friendly relations, and that infrastructure development and investment will serve as key drivers of Mozambique's future growth.
Sam C.S.Lei, executive director of IPIM, said this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Mozambique. He noted that the conference represents both a concrete step in elevating China-Mozambique relations and a continued deepening of economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
As an important mechanism for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, the meeting has been held on a rotating basis in different Portuguese-speaking countries and regions since 2005. ■