The Chief Executive of Macau, Ho Iat Seng, will travel to Portugal next week, specifically from 18 to 22 April, where he will hold meetings with the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister António Costa and Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho. Along with Ho Iat Seng, there is a delegation of more than 50 businessmen, with the aim of deepening relations between the two territories, but not only. This trip will also include links between Portugal and China, as Joaquim Ramos, director of the Instituto Português do Oriente (IPOR) told PLATAFORMA.
The Doctorate in Portuguese Philology was keen to point out that this trip, Ho Iat Seng’s first abroad after the pandemic, will serve to “contribute to aligning strategies to strengthen mutual investments in the promotion of languages and cultures” between Portugal and China .
“This visit seems very important to me, as it revitalizes the close relations between Portugal and Macau, after a period that was greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. As is known, there is an important relationship between Portugal and the People’s Republic of China that has deserved special attention over the years, reinforced following the mutual visits of presidents Xi Jinping to Portugal and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to China. The objectives of cultural and linguistic deepening among the respective peoples were reiterated as being one of the most important goals to be achieved, and the incentive to learn the Chinese language in Portugal has been clear, as can be seen, for example, through the opening of Confucius Centers all over the country, present in some of the most important Portuguese academies. The same has actually happened with regard to culture: the consistent and highly recognized work of Fundação Oriente, allied to associative structures and research centers of the State itself, such as the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau, have contributed to reducing the distance between West and East in these fields”, began by stressing Joaquim Ramos.
The China-Portugal relationship will thus be one of the ‘themes’ of the trip, but obviously the central one will be Macau-Portugal. And Ho Iat Seng will have the opportunity to “deepen educational exchanges, artistic residencies, scientific research programs in linguistics, literatures or pedagogy, but there is also space to reinforce bilingual editorial projects”.
“In addition to being a symbol to reaffirm the well-known historical relations between Portugal and Macau, I think that this trip by the Chief Executive also signals the joint interest in keeping channels open between the peoples of Portugal and China. I have read several journalistic works and declarations by specialists in the economic and political sectors about the importance of this visit to these fields, and I have no doubts about the importance that Ho Iat Seng also dedicates to the areas of culture, arts and creative industries”, he said, later highlighting Macao’s work in these areas.
“It has known how to present itself internationally as a source of talent with high potential to help achieve the economic diversification that is underway in the Macao SAR. The strategic issue, in terms of international partnership, is more linked to a qualification that must be transmitted in a concerted manner through diplomatic channels, and it has received an echo in the media in recent years; As a leader in the area of culture and education, I believe I am not going too far if I say that there is, in fact, a potential for joint work that we can develop with enormous mutual benefits: there is room to deepen educational exchanges, artistic residencies, scientific research in linguistics, literature or pedagogy, but there is also room to reinforce bilingual editorial projects. The potential is significant and the choice of the Chief Executive seems to me to be an indicator that he is aware of this reality. From what I have read, Ho Iat Seng will be received in Portugal at a very high institutional level, which also demonstrates the attention that the country attaches to this historic relationship and, in this specific case, to the leaders Macao SAR who will accompany the Chief Executive”, he said.
CHINESE COMMUNITY AND THE ROLE OF MACAO
The Chinese community in Portugal is also highlighted by IPOR, which underlines the importance of Macau in this role and in the connection between the Portuguese nation and China. “The Chinese community in Portugal itself has shown structuring dynamism by holding festivals and organizing various exhibitions or concerts, with the support of Portuguese institutions. We know that the Macao SAR and its communities also play a fundamental role in promoting Chinese culture in Portugal. The ties that unite this Region to our country are secular, which fully justifies the guidelines of the Central Government publicly attributed to Macau in order to act as a platform of excellence for cooperation, at various levels, with Portuguese-speaking countries and with Portugal ”, he referred.
Language is also another linking factor between Portugal and Macau. IPOR does not hide this role and believes that this trip will further strengthen this issue. “Having, in this period, increased support from Portugal to the promotion of the rich cultural panorama of Macau and China (and in this panorama I include the encouragement of language learning, the promotion of traditional arts and heritage, but also the dissemination of contemporary art of enormous quality that China has given to the world), there is a high expectation that, in the opposite direction, one can also witness a positive reinforcement. Now that the limitations of the pandemic are practically no longer felt, we believe that this visit by Ho Iat Seng will contribute to aligning strategies to strengthen mutual investments in the promotion of languages and cultures”,
he said, also highlighting the role that the Institute could play in this field.
“As IPOR is an institution in Macau recognized for establishing bridges between Portugal and the Macao SAR, especially in terms of teaching/learning the Portuguese language, we are certain that the visit of the Chief Executive will bring new ideas so that we can contribute even more so for the training of Macao staff, namely in areas that have aroused a special interest such as legal language, economic and business language, or complementary training in translation and interpretation, aimed at structures and specialized lexicon. The sectorial meetings that these visits usually motivate can themselves open new doors to concrete innovative projects. We will see how the contacts go”.
THE CULTURE THAT CAN UNITE PORTUGAL AND CHINA
Ho Iat Seng could thus be a very important ‘pawn’ in future relations between China and Portugal. Joaquim Ramos really believes that Xi Jinping and his government have an interesting strategy in Portugal.
“If you ask me my opinion, I answer bluntly that yes, that I believe there is a relationship of high potential that is recognized by both parties. We are talking about two countries with a remarkable history, each in its own way, which have established a centuries-old relationship”, he said, later giving examples of possible
cooperation between the two nations, especially from the cultural point of view.
“Portugal has proven to be an important access channel for China in the context of the EU and also, in collaboration with other countries, in the context of the CPLP. It is not up to me to elaborate here on the “macro” level of this dynamic, but, at the level at which I work – as Director of IPOR – I remember that the theater meetings promoted by Forum Macau and organized annually by IPOR (until they see their regularity reached by the Covid-19) contributed to the movement of theater companies from Macau to countries such as Portugal, Brazil or Cape Verde, for example; Likewise, we have encouraged partners from other countries to submit applications to events that I consider very important, such as the previous “Sound and Image Challenge” (today the Macau Short Film Festival), in the field of cinema. Naturally, having several examples of this type in mind, I cannot fail to consider that China, as an international “player” of enormous relevance that it undoubtedly is, sees Portugal as an important partner in the context of its foreign cultural policy and the dissemination of the arts. and letters, naturally having the Macao SAR as a fundamental part of this dynamic. I believe that reading President Xi Jinping’s statements to Portuguese newspapers during his visit to Portugal gives us a very clear idea of this fact”, he said.
THERE IS NO SLAUGHTER IN PORTUGAL
There are many Portuguese who have left Macao in recent times. There are several reasons for such choices, but Joaquim Ramos understands that Portugal has not neglected its community.
“I believe that there will be people more qualified than me to address this issue. However, with regard to language and culture, I do not believe that one can speak of negligence on the part of Portugal, insofar as the Camões Institute itself has reinforced, in recent years, concrete financial support for cultural activities in the IPOR in Macao. The same happened in other areas, such as the promotion of specific teaching materials or the investment in digital language education tools. On the other hand, as Portugal is a country with free economic initiative and remarkable entrepreneurial freedom, it seems to me that the selection of markets for investment should be left to the discretion of the companies themselves (commercial or otherwise). It is certain that there are more and more means to support this type of initiative and IPOR has taken advantage of some of these instruments: reinforcing the continuous training of teachers, investing in research in areas such as linguistics or didactics, and investing in bilingual editions. (test, manuals, or fiction), even in contexts strongly limited by the pandemic of recent years, they are there to witness it”, stressed the director of IPOR, later trying to explain the
recent exodus of the Portuguese.
“I believe there is a more or less consolidated diagnosis of this phenomenon. Entities such as Casa de Portugal, through its president, or the University of Macau have made considerations and have written extensively on the issue. The conclusions seem to me, in general, to make sense. As I am not a sociologist, nor am I linked to research into migratory phenomena, I believe that the limitations imposed by the pandemic were decisive for many to rethink their life choices in a
a place that, despite the technology, continues to be more than ten thousand kilometers from Portugal. This always brings family and relational implications and even very serious professional limitations. I myself was more than eight months in a row without the presence of my son, now two years old; I did two quarantines (21 days and 14
days) in less than six months for professional reasons that took me to Portugal, and all of this was very violent. Some people weighed the pros and cons and, in the personal accounting, made their decisions”, he said, stressing that this trip by the Chief Executive could be important in this matter.
“Since these are very personal issues, often linked to lifelong choices, I don’t think there’s much that can be done. We can, as I have heard from several sources, hope that the community will renew itself and that there will continue to be room for this dynamic between arrivals and departures, since the cosmopolitanism of Macau is, without a doubt, one of its greatest assets. Even in this field I believe that the visit of Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng is a positive sign for all of us”, he concluded.
