Macao acts as bridge for Portuguese exchanges

As a bridge linking China and Portuguese-speaking countries, or PSCs, the Macao Special Administrative Region has remained committed to promoting cultural exchanges between the two sides.

Over the weekend, the annual Lusofonia Festival drew residents and tourists alike to the Taipa Houses Museum, a complex consisting of five Portuguese-style houses on Taipa Island, where they could enjoy food and traditional performances from PSCs.

Taking place simultaneously with the "carnival" of Portuguese appeal was a cultural festival featuring a series of activities such as the Chinese and Portuguese picture book fair, screenings of films in Chinese and Portuguese languages, and wine tasting.

Leong Wai Man, head of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR government, says the festival is aimed at further playing Macao's role of a bridge linking China and PSCs and building the city into a place where the Chinese culture dominates and multiple cultures coexist.

During the past week, the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Macao joined hands with the Macao SAR government to organize an exchange plan for young people from China and PSCs who are studying in Macao.

Scores of college students from China and eight PSCs, including Portugal, Brazil and Angola, took part in the plan and attended a contest of short videos telling their stories with the city from the perspectives of cultural exchanges and integration, "one country, two systems" practices, as well as Macao's role as a platform linking China and PSCs.

A student surnamed Cheng was one of the prize winners. Born and raised in Macao, Cheng says she had been studying the Portuguese language and thinking about how she could leverage her strengths to help promote friendship between Chinese and Portuguese-speaking students.

"Macao is a city where the Chinese and Portuguese cultures meet," Cheng says. "The building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, Zhuhai, will also bring opportunities to Macao."

Liu Xianfa, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, says Macao plays an irreplaceable role in promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and PSCs, calling on young people from these countries to learn from each other and make joint contributions to the common development and prosperity of China and PSCs.

Ip Kuai Peng, vice-president of the City University of Macao, suggested that the Macao SAR government fully support deepening cooperation with PSCs on higher education and personnel training and continuously support Macao's universities in carrying out academic exchanges with their counterparts in PSCs.

"Macao should also leverage its unique advantages and help tell the stories of China to the outside world," Ip adds.