As the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Forum on Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese Countries will open on Sunday here, observers see sound achievements have been made in relations and cooperation between China and seven Portuguese-speaking countries.

The past three years witnessed frequent high level visits between China and the countries: Chinese President Hu Jintao, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's political Consultative Conference Jia Qinglin, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Chinese Vice Premiers Zeng Peiyan and Hui Liangyu visited Brazil, Portugal and Angola respectively; Mozambique's President, Brazilian President, Portuguese President and Cape Verde 's Premier also visited China; Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region Edmund Ho Hau Wah visited Brazil in July last year. All these have greatly promote cooperation in various fields between China and the countries.

In 2005, the bilateral trade between China and the countries reached 23.19 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 26.9 percent year-on-year.

Mutual investment also gained considerable development, while cooperation in human resources development being strengthened and China's assistant projects to the countries being carried out.

At the 1st Ministerial Conference of the Forum held in 2003, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi expressed her hope that the Forum would become an important platform for China and Portuguese-speaking counties to participate in economic globalization and a "propeller "for all-round cooperation between China and the countries. As her hope is becoming realization, people can see that the Chinese market and the market of the countries are highly complementary.

In the past three years, Macao played an important role in bridging the Chinese mainland and Portuguese-speaking countries on one hand and expanded its influence on the other.

From the theme of "Building the Framework of Economic and Trade Cooperation and Promoting Mutual Development of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries" of the 1st Ministerial Conference to the theme of "Strengthening Cooperation, Common Development" of coming one and with doubling entrepreneurs to participate the business conference, it is evident that China and the Portuguese- speaking countries are seeking deeper and more efficient cooperation. And this is based on mutual benefit and mutual trust.

Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai to the 2nd Ministerial Conference expressed here Saturday that China and Portuguese- speaking countries share great potential in developing bilateral economic and trade relations and can expand their cooperation in many new fields.

Bo's expectation is a signal that China and the Portuguese- speaking countries will turn a new leaf in their economic and trade relations after the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Forum.

Source: Xinhua