How gambling hub Macau could cultivate stronger economic ties between China and Portuguese-speaking countries
- Authorities are keen on building upon Macau’s historical links to Portugal as a means to bolster economy without depending solely on the 170-year-old gaming sector
- Beijing wants to foster bilateral economic relations with Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, and Macau is uniquely placed to help
On Easter Sunday, Antonio Trindade lunched with visiting family in an old Portuguese-style section of Macau rife with pastel-coloured shophouses – comfortably isolated by a hillock and lake from some of the many grandiose casinos that give the Asian gaming hub its international fame.
Those are the same casinos that took a massive hit during the pandemic, when Macau closed its borders and was suddenly faced with the stark realisation that it had not done nearly enough to diversify its economy away from gambling.
Fortunately for the casino hub, Macau’s past as a former Portuguese colony could hold the key to not only economic relief, but also better relations between mainland China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
And Trindade, who lives in the territory located about an hour from Hong Kong by ferry, said he already sees the “shift” happening.
Portuguese himself, the president of infrastructure operator CESL Asia says his company – with 500 local staff members – has been approached by government representatives about building on Macau’s historical links to Portugal as a means to bolster “economic retention” without depending solely on the 170-year-old gaming sector.
“The platform is already there” for Macau to leverage its history to connect China with countries such as Portugal and Brazil, Trindade said, citing examples such as the special administrative region’s Portuguese legal system, and that bank transfers to Portuguese-speaking countries are relatively easy. Portuguese is also an official language in Macau and appears on public signage throughout the city.
