The “Macao-Hengqin Investment Promotion Seminar (Mozambique)”, co-organised by the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Co-operation Zone in Hengqin and the Mozambique Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEX Mozambique), was successfully held on 29 July, local time. It was Macao-Hengqin’s first-ever collaborative investment promotion activity in Portuguese-speaking African country. More than 120 entrepreneurs and business elites from Mozambique, mainland China, Macao attended the event to discuss new opportunities for economic development focusing on the resources, economic and trade co-operation and joint industrial development. More than 50 business matching conversations were facilitated on-site, involving industries such as finance, big health, logistics, agriculture, trade and retail, as well as infrastructure.

Macao-Hengqin Synergistic Development Provides a Huge Stage for International Investors

At the seminar, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Mozambique Xu Weili stated that Macao and Hengqin are actively seizing the major opportunities of the collabrative construction of the “Belt and Road” Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. She hopes that the guests attending the event can gain a deeper understanding of Macao and Hengqin through this activity, explore business opportunities, and contribute solutions and resources to enhance China-Mozambique economic and trade co-operation.

Gil da Conceição Bires, Director of the Mozambique Investment and Export Promotion Agency, introduced on-site the business environment of Mozambique. He pointed out that the economic systems of Macao and Hengqin are advanced and well-developed, especially in the fields of finance and logistics, which could serve as Mozambique’s reference. Mozambique, on the other hand, has abundant agricultural resources and a strategic maritime location. Through this investment promotion event, it is believed that Mozambique’s industrial innovation capabilities can be further improved, and economic and trade co-operation between China and Mozambique can be strengthened.

IPIM Director Sam Lei encouraged Mozambican companies to make better use of the advantages of Macao’s role as the China-PSC platform and IPIM’s “China-PSC Business Compass” support service, whose purpose is promoting economic and trade exchanges and co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Mozambican companies can leverage Macao and Hengqin as strategic entry points to explore the vast market and business opportunities in mainland China.

Director of the Economic Development Bureau of the Co-operation Zone António Lei shared the information about Macao-Hengqin business environment, the opportunities and favourable policies for the implementation of the hierarchical management in Hengqin, and the industrial parks. Since Hengqin’s “Four New” industries are consistent with the development of the major industries in Mozambique, there are space and potential for co-operation. He also invited Mozambique enterprises to the Co-operation Zone to inspect the investment environment and to discuss possible co-operation.

On-point Business Matching between Chinese and Mozambican Enterprises to Jointly Explore Co-operation Opportunities

In order to help Mozambican enterprises better grasp the investment opportunities in Macao and Hengqin, during the promotion seminar, Macao-Hengqin entrepreneurs were invited to share their experiences in running businesses in these two regions. And business matching sessions were arranged for Chinese and Mozambican companies to conduct face-to-face communication and to explore the possibilities of establishing substantive co-operation between enterprises of both countries to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. According to the Mozambique enterprises who participated in the promotion seminar, Macao-Hengqin joint development provides international investors with a convenient and efficient business environment. Through the connections established with the Macao-Hengqin entrepreneurs, they will explore co-operation opportunities in the future by making use of each other’s advantages and resources.

Field Inspection Activities Were Arranged to Provide Insight Into the Co-operation Potential of Portuguese-speaking Countries

During their visit to Mozambique, the delegation visited the Chinese Embassy in Mozambique, and inspected some of the local plastic and ceramic factors, as well as the Beluluane Industrial Zone, to learn about the local industry layout, investment promotion policies and industrial development direction. According to the delegation members, they have gained a more intuitive understanding of the industrial status, market demand, policies and business environment of the Portuguese-speaking countries through this trip, especially Angola and Mozambique. The rich resources of the Portuguese-speaking countries and the advantages in capital, technology, and management of Chinese enterprises could be great potential for future China-PSCs economic and trade exchange.

Macao and Hengqin Jointly Expand Overseas Co-operation and Resource Circle to Motivate International Business Exchanges

This promotion seminar is one of the joint investment promotion activities in 2024 of IPIM and the Economic Development Bureau of the Co-operation Zone. It is also their first investment promotion event in Portuguese-speaking African countries publicising the “Macao Platform + International Resources + Hengqin Space + Shared Results” after the implementation of the new pattern of Macao-Hengqin joint industrial development, expanding the overseas co-operation and resource circles.

In the future, Macao and Hengqin will fully leverage their unique international advantages, and make good use of Macao’s important role as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, to help Macao enterprises to better go global and enhance their international competitiveness through the formation of Macao-Hengqin enterprise groups. In the meantime, Macao and Hengqin will also actively attract high-quality overseas companies to establish businesses in these two regions, and jointly create a business environment that is vibrant, open and innovative, and in line with international standards.