From November 19 to 21, 2025, the annual meeting of the Federation of Portuguese-Speaking Lawyers (FALP) convened in Macao SAR, bringing together delegations from Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Macao.

As part of the program, participants visited the Guangdong–Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and held in-depth discussions with representatives of the Service Centre for Economy and Trade between China and Portuguese/Spanish-Speaking Countries (CECPS). During the event, the centre officially launched the “Initiative for Promoting Cross-Border Arbitration Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries” (the Cooperation Initiative), aiming to strengthen legal collaboration and support trade between China and Lusophone countries.

The Cooperation Initiative focuses on:

1. Legal Alignment: Building industry consensus and exploring pathways for harmonizing Chinese and Lusophone legal systems.

2. Professional Dialogue: Establishing a regular mechanism for professional exchanges among legal practitioners.

3. Experience Sharing: Exchanging arbitration practices and case studies to enhance the efficiency of cross-border dispute resolution.

4. Talent Collaboration: Promoting mutual visits, joint training, and capacity building for legal professionals.

CECPS officials emphasized that the initiative seeks to respond to the demand for predictable, efficient, and cost-effective dispute resolution. By integrating legal resources, constructing an arbitration cooperation platform, and optimizing cross-border procedures, the initiative aims to provide streamlined legal support for commercial transactions between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The initiative received strong support from participating institutions. Over 50 legal entities, law firms, and individual lawyers from Portugal, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mainland China, and Macao signed the Cooperation Initiative. Notable signatories included former Cabo Verde Prime Minister Carlos Veiga, former Portuguese Secretary of State Vitalino Canas, FALP President Pedro Pais de Almeida, and Macao Lawyers Association President Wong Hin Fai.

Looking ahead, CECPS plans to work closely with legal professionals across participating countries to implement the Cooperation Initiative, build a robust cross-border arbitration platform, and ensure high-quality legal services that facilitate trade and investment between China and Lusophone and Hispanophone markets.