Exploring New Channels in Portuguese-Speaking Countries

At 4:00am local time on May 25, a group of people hurried to Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, to catch a flight to the capital, Brasília. This came shortly after they had landed in São Paulo following a journey of more than 20 hours. “I unpacked my luggage, replied to a few emails, and then set off again.”

They are representatives from Macao SAR government, who are leading a delegation of entrepreneurs, industrial associations, and representatives from industry, academia, and research institutions from the Chinese mainland and Macao on a delegation to Brazil. While the rest of the delegation was still asleep, the government representatives had already travelled under the cover of darkness to the capital, Brasilia. They are to meet with representatives from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Brazil, as well as the Brazilian government officials—particularly representatives from pharmaceutical regulatory agencies. “We’re moving so quickly to lay the groundwork and pave the way for the visiting delegation,” said Che Weng Keong, President of the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) of the Macao SAR.