Trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in 2006 has doubled comparing with 2003, according to latest figures.

In a press release by the Permanent Secretariat of the Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (FCE) in Macau, total trade between the two sides reached USD34.08 billion, an increase of 46.9% from 2005.

Imports from the Portuguese-speaking countries into China stood at USD24.29 billion, an increase of 43.1% compared to 2005; and exports from China to these countries stood at USD9.79 billion, an increase of 57.4% compared to 2005.

China imported more from these countries than exported to them, the Secretariat also said.

Mainland Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai (薄熙來) said during the second Ministerial Conference of the FCE in 2006 that he expected trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries would amount to over USD33 billion.

source (http://macau.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/3/22/2825087.html)

The EU is likely to set up a "Europe Centre" in Macau before the end of this year.

The head of delegation of the European Commission (EC) in Hong Kong and Macau, Thomas Roe, told Portuguese-language newspapers in Macau that the Europe Centre will not be a diplomatic representation, but a platform of cooperation.

16 other countries and regions that also included in a 100-million-Euro initiative by the EC to enhance cooperation with the EU include Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Canada and the US.

Private organs will operate the centre, which will become a platform to launch cooperation projects in a wide variety of themes, said Roe, and pointed out that the projects will generally receive 75% of the funding from the EU, or even full funding for certain projects.

José Luís Sales Marques, President of the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM), welcome the EU's decision, and expressed interest of his Institute to participate in setting up the centre.

He pointed out that the centre should be able to provide easy access for Macau's associations to invite EU experts to come to Macau to give talks or seminars, which will stimulate the population to understand more about Europe.

source (http://macau.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/3/22/2825088.html)

China-Lusophone world connections are increasing day after day. That's excellent.