DILI, 05 december 2025 (TATOLI) – The Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment, Gastão Fernando de Sousa, paid an official visit to the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao) on 28 November 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Proclamation of Timor-Leste’s Independence.
The visit aimed to strengthen cooperation within the multilateral framework of Forum Macao and to promote Timor-Leste’s business environment and investment opportunities to partners in Macao and mainland China.
During the meeting with the Permanent Secretariat, both sides discussed initiatives to deepen collaboration between Timor-Leste, Macao, and mainland China, with emphasis on maximising the role of Macao’s Sino-Lusophone Platform.
The session was attended by the Secretary-General of Forum Macao, Ji Xianzheng, Deputy Secretaries-General Xie Ying and António Lei, the Coordinator of the Administration Office, Li Xiaohui, the Delegate of Timor-Leste to Forum Macao, António Ramos da Silva, and other members of the Secretariat.
On the same day, the Permanent Secretariat hosted a “Lecture on the Business Environment and Investment Promotion in Timor-Leste” at the China–Portuguese Speaking Countries Trade Cooperation Service Platform Complex.
The programme featured an institutional video outlining investment opportunities in Timor-Leste, a thematic speech delivered by Minister Gastão Fernando de Sousa, and an interactive question-and-answer session with participants.
The event was attended by Secretary-General Ji Xianzheng, representatives from the Macao–Timor Friendship Association, business associations from Macao, companies from mainland China and Macao, and members of the Permanent Secretariat.
The lecture provided a platform to broaden understanding of Timor-Leste’s investment landscape and to identify new avenues for economic cooperation.
The initiative also reinforced the importance of Macao’s Sino-Lusophone Platform in advancing investment promotion and facilitating exchanges between Timor-Leste, Macao, and mainland China.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
