The new Sino-Portuguese International Cooperation Centre for Investment and Trade (CCIICSP) will promote investment and trade projects between Portugal, Portuguese-speaking countries and the Greater Bay Area.
The launch of CCIICSP, based in the city of Guangzhou (pictured above), will take place today in an inaugural session by ‘streaming’, with the participation of Chinese and Portuguese public and private stakeholders.
CCIICSP is the result of a partnership between Porcham, a bilateral business association on the verge of becoming the Chamber of Commerce of Portugal in China, and Cinco company with the National Development and Reform Commission of China, “aiming to pursue investment and trade projects between Portugal, the Portuguese diaspora and Portuguese-speaking countries with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Hainan Island.
Portugal Sees Greater Bay Area as ‘Unique Opportunity to Boost Business Presence’
The Greater Bay Area is a special economic region made up of nine cities in Guangdong province, plus the two autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
According to a CCIICSP statement, “this initiative is an important step in the realisation of the strategic partnership between Portugal and China, established in 2005, and the strong boost given to bilateral relations between the two countries with the visit to Portugal by President Xi Jinping in 2018.”
The Portuguese market “is today one of the largest recipients ‘per capita’ of Chinese investment in Europe,” the statement adds.
China Willing to Expand Projects With Portugal in Energy, Finance and Infrastructure
The creation of the CCIICSP “is also the recognition by China of the geostrategic relevance of Portugal as a privileged interlocutor and first line, in the implementation of the Comprehensive EU-China Investment Agreement, concluded in 2020, as part of the ‘The Belt & Road Initiative’, the entity said.
“We are a consortium dedicated to improving the business environment and promoting constructive and sustainable economic relations between the People’s Republic of China and other countries with a major focus on Portuguese-speaking countries and countries where we can leverage the Portuguese diaspora,” said the ‘chairman’ of CCIICSP, Dário Silva, quoted in a statement.
“We help Portuguese companies to succeed in China, as well as Chinese companies to succeed abroad, by providing ‘advocacy’ support, networking opportunities, ‘insights’ and business support services,” Silva adds, noting that CCIICSP “is a platform for entrepreneurs and professionals to connect, share resources and build a thriving international community in the GBA, one of the fastest growing economic regions in the world.”
