Gateway for trade between lusophone markets, Hunan envisaged

Governor Mao Weiming of the southern Chinese province of Hunan has said his government supports the establishment in the Hunan city of Changsha of a centre to facilitate exchanges by the province and the Portuguese-speaking world, the China News website reports.

The Chinese state-run website says Mr Mao said so when he and the ambassadors to China of Timor-Leste, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique and Angola met to discuss industrial cooperation.

Mr Mao said the facility and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo would increase trade between Hunan and lusophone countries.

Timorese Ambassador to China Bendito dos Santos Freitas expressed a wish for Macao to play a part in arranging cooperation by Hunan and the Portuguese-speaking world, the China News website says.

Separately, a Chinese state-run newspaper, the China Daily, reports that the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo will be held in Changsha in September.