Chinese premier stresses cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for strengthening cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries on Sunday.

Li made the remarks online while attending the opening ceremony of a special ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao.

Trade between China and the PSCs has exceeded $100 billion for five consecutive years and reached $200 billion last year, which fully demonstrated the resilience and potential of cooperation, Li noted.

Li said that China would make more contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting mutual development and prosperity of all countries together with the PSCs and the international society.

China is willing to increase cooperation with the PSCs in vaccines, medication, and health and set up a communication center on epidemic prevention in China's Macao Special Administrative Region, said the premier.

Calling for further enhancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, Li said China is willing to improve collaboration in advancing infrastructure connectivity, industrial capacity, energy conservation, and environmental protection with the PSCs.

Government delegates from China and eight PSCs, including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste, attended the meeting.