China: Int’l infrastructure forum in Macau concludes with $10 bln in cooperation agreements

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China: Int’l infrastructure forum in Macau concludes with $10 bln in cooperation agreements

3:38 CAT | 16 Jun 2025

File photo: MMA

Thirty-one cooperation agreements worth USD 10.1 billion were signed during an infrastructure forum in Macau, with one-third involving companies from Portuguese-speaking countries and the Special Administrative Region, it was announced on Friday.

The agreements, signed during the 16th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF), cover cooperation in areas such as transport, civil construction, electric power, water resources and renewable energy, across 22 countries and regions, according to a statement from the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM).

Approximately one-third of the projects signed between Tuesday and Thursday involve companies from Portuguese-speaking countries and Macau.

READ: Mozambique: China’s CRBC to build access roads to Inhambane province and Beira port

Over the course of the three-day event, IPIM noted that more than 200 business matching sessions were held, with over 70 of them attended by companies from Macau and Hengqin – “an increase of more than 30 per cent” compared to the 52 sessions held last year.

“These outcomes further highlight Macau’s role as a Sino-Lusophone platform, as well as the region’s proactive engagement with national development strategies, particularly the development of the Greater Bay Area,” IPIM stated.

In this regard, representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries “acknowledged Macau’s effective role” as a bridge for establishing connections between Chinese and Lusophone companies and institutions.

“They even revealed that during the IIICF they secured cooperation agreements with companies from mainland China in the fields of information technology and electrical engineering, expressing their satisfaction,” IPIM added.

In 2003, Beijing designated Macau as a platform to enhance economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, establishing Forum Macau in the same year.

The Greater Bay Area is a project launched by Beijing aimed at creating a global metropolis encompassing the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Macau and Hong Kong, along with nine neighbouring cities in Guangdong province, home to more than 80 million people.

Also launched by Beijing in 2021, the Guangdong–Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin spans an area of about 106 square kilometres.

More than 3,500 infrastructure professionals from over 70 countries and regions attended the forum, which “set a new record for high-level attendees, specifically with nearly 70 ministerial-level officials” participating.

During the event, the Belt and Road Infrastructure Development Index was also released, led by Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Malaysia. Among Portuguese-speaking countries, Brazil ranked highest.

The initiative, announced by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2013, involves over 80 countries as part of Beijing’s international strategic plan to develop maritime, road and rail links, as well as investment in energy resources.

Brazil “has continued to improve its fiscal and tax policies and advance its industrial strategies, resulting in a sustained improvement in the business environment and a steady increase in dynamism,” the report stated.

Mozambique rose from 38th to 34th in the index, showing “notable improvements” and surpassing Angola, which fell from 20th to 35th place.

Among the members of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), the rankings are as follows: Equatorial Guinea (56th), Portugal (62nd), Timor-Leste (67th), Cabo Verde (70th), and São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea-Bissau (both 73rd).

The index assesses the environment, demand, receptiveness and costs related to infrastructure development across 84 countries.

Source: Lusa