On the evening of October 26, 2022 (GMT+8), the closing ceremony for "Seminar on Sino-Portuguese Investment and Trade" hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and organized by MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) was held online. Zhao Bentang, Ambassador of the Chinese Embassy in Portugal, Luo Zhisong, Chief Economist of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Luis Sousa, Vice President of the Portuguese Investment and Foreign Trade Agency (AICEP), Maria Pinto, Director of the Strategic Media and Internationalization Department of the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture, and expert representative Feng Shujun, researcher of the Think Tank Research Center of Shanghai Business School attended the closing ceremony, which was presided over by He Ying, Vice President of SBS.
Portugal is the first Western European country to sign the memorandum of cooperation with China to jointly build the "Belt and Road", and the first EU country to establish a "Blue Partnership" with China. With the rapid economic development of both countries, the economic ties between the two sides have become closer. Even against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the global economy, the bilateral trade volume between China and Portugal has continued to grow, and bilateral investment has maintained steady growth. By holding the seminar, our university shares China's successful experience in investment and trade cooperation and provides reference for the Portuguese side. The seminar is an exchange and exploration between China and Portugal in promoting investment and trade cooperation and strengthening international cooperation in various fields.
Chief Economist Luo Zhisong pointed out in his speech that China has continued to promote international investment and trade cooperation, providing more development opportunities for the world. In unswervingly promoting a high level of openness, China actively participates in the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G20, APEC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other mechanisms to promote the improvement of global economic governance rules and support the inclusive development of the multilateral trading system. It is believed that as the exchanges and cooperation between China and Portugal in this field continue to deepen, they will jointly make positive contributions to global trade and investment cooperation and development, with a view to achieving mutual benefits and win-win results.
Vice President Luis Sousa expressed his gratitude in his speech, and said that the holding of the seminar is conducive to promoting the current good political relations between China and Portugal, providing opportunities for cooperation between Chinese and Portuguese enterprises and entrepreneurs, and placing expectations for future trade and deepening cooperation relations.
The expert representative, researcher Feng Shujun, said that Sino-Portuguese investment and trade cooperation is particularly important in today's international environment, and this seminar allows more Chinese and Portuguese people to jointly promote economic and trade cooperation and exchange with China-Portugal (Europe) as the core, radiating Asia, Africa and Latin America, and form a cooperation mechanism to play an active role in promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Director Maria Pinto, the representative of the participants, spoke highly of the seminar. She pointed out that China is one of the most important markets for Portuguese agricultural exports, especially in fish and fish products, which maintains a stable trade. She said that China and Portugal have always maintained a common view of cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win in investment and trade, which is a good principle for the two sides in the new agricultural trade partnership in the future.
At the end of the ceremony, Ambassador Zhao Bentang of the Chinese Embassy in Portugal personally issued certificates of completion to the participants, and presented souvenirs to the Portuguese Investment and Foreign Trade Agency and the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the co-organizers of the seminar.
The seminar lasted for 10 days and 57 participants from the Portugal Global – Trade & Investment Agency, the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Portuguese-Chinese Chamber of Commerce for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the Portugual Food Safety and Economic Agency, the Portuguese Port of Heroes City Hall, the Association of Young Entrepreneurs Portugal-China, and the Portuguese Basic Energy Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. attended.
Written by: Chen Xiaoye
Photos by: Ni Haoran
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
