To promote greater understanding among Chinese and Portuguese-speaking business communities of the advantages of Macao’s arbitration services, and to further enhance the international recognition of Macao’s arbitral institutions in Sino-Portuguese commercial dispute resolution, the World Trade Center Macau Arbitration Center (hereinafter referred to as “the Center”) successfully hosted the “Exchange Session on Macao Arbitration Empowering Sino-Portuguese Economic and Trade Cooperation” on 24 October at 4:30 p.m., during the 30th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), held at The Venetian Macao – Cotai Expo.

The event attracted enthusiastic participation from over 50 attendees, including representatives from member states of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), as well as leaders and representatives from the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Macao Lawyers Association Arbitration Center, Macao Legal Exchange and Promotion Association, Macao Importers & Exporters Association, and other chambers of commerce, associations, legal professionals, and business representatives from Macao and abroad.

In his remarks, Mr. Lei Chi Wai Antonio, Vice President of the Council of the Center, highlighted that Macao, as the “Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries,” plays a pivotal role in connecting the two markets. As a professional arbitral institution, the Center is actively developing an arbitration framework tailored to the needs of Sino-Portuguese cooperation. Its current panel of international arbitrators and mediators brings together legal professionals from multiple jurisdictions, reflecting the diversity and openness of Macao’s arbitration system.

Witnessed by guests in attendance, Mr. Jackson Tsui, President of the Council of the Center, and Engineer Vicente Francisco Soares, President of the Angola Chamber of Commerce and Industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement aims to promote collaboration between the two parties in areas such as international arbitration, cross-border legal information sharing, joint training programmes, and mutual recommendation of experts. This partnership marks an important step in the Center’s expansion of its cooperation network with Portuguese-speaking countries, while also bridging a gap in dispute resolution services between China and Angola.

Ms. Vong Sok Hei, Rosita, Secretary-General of the Center, delivered a keynote speech during the session. She elaborated on the key role arbitration institutions play in facilitating international trade and economic cooperation, and shared Macao’s institutional achievements and practical experiences in promoting system development and international integration. Her presentation further deepened participants’ understanding of how Macao’s arbitration services contribute to resolving commercial disputes between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, underscoring the city’s institutional potential and international influence as a legal cooperation hub.

Through expert insights and the signing of a cross-border cooperation agreement, the exchange session not only examined the practical aspects of arbitration but also expanded Macao’s presence on the global arbitration stage. It reaffirmed the city’s growing professional capacity and international potential in advancing Sino-Portuguese economic engagement. The Center expressed its commitment to using MIF as a platform to strengthen collaboration with the Sino-Portuguese legal and business sectors, optimise arbitration services, deepen cross-border cooperation, and foster a neutral and internationally recognised arbitration environment to provide solid legal support for Sino-Portuguese cooperation.