On March 24, Mao Weiming, CPC Hunan Provincial Committee deputy secretary and Hunan governor, met in Changsha with a delegation of foreign envoys in China from six Portuguese-speaking countries. It was headed by Abrao dos Santos, Timor-Leste ambassador to China. The diplomatic envoys were from the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Cabo Verde, the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, the Republic of Mozambique, and the Republic of Angola. Li Weiwei, CPPCC Hunan Provincial Committee chairwoman, attended the meeting.
António Serifo Embaló, Guinea-Bissau ambassador to China, and Wang Qun, Hunan Provincial People’s Government secretary general, joined the meeting.
Governor Mao extended his warm welcome to the visit from the envoys. He said that Hunan Province has glorious revolutionary tradition and is the hometown of great men and generals. It features green ecology and beautiful mountains and rivers. It boasts long history, numerous historical sites and scenic spots, and profound cultural heritage. Hunan’s economy maintains a strong momentum. Industrial agglomeration is accelerated. And the targeted poverty alleviation has achieved a decisive victory. We are now, in accordance with the blueprint formulated by President Xi Jinping, forging ahead on a new journey. We are implementing the Three Highlands and Four New Missions Strategy and accelerating our efforts to create a new development pattern to promote high-quality development, and to sustain the sound momentum of Hunan’s economic and social development.
He noted that Hunan Province and Portuguese-speaking countries have a long history of friendship. Especially in recent years, with the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and Hunan as the permanent location to hold the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, Hunan and Portuguese-speaking countries have greater opportunities to expand economic and trade cooperation.
He expected that the delegation’s visit will be an opportunity
-- to deepen practical cooperation in such fields as rice planting, improved seed promotion, agricultural product processing, and agricultural machinery manufacturing;
-- to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction, energy resource development, and enhanced level of industry development; and,
-- to expand exchanges in culture, tourism, education, health and other fields.
Hunan will support the establishment of Macao Center in Changsha. It will be functioned as a window. Through it we will build closer ties with Portuguese-speaking countries and promote bilateral cooperation to a higher level, he added.
Ambassador Santos congratulated Hunan on its outstanding achievements in economic and social development and poverty alleviation. He promised that the delegation will give full play to its role as a bridge, actively promote the platform of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, and, promote Hunan province to more Portuguese-speaking countries through the Macao Center. We expect to create a new situation for friendly cooperation.
Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn
