Macau, April 13, 2026 (Lusa) – Portuguese-language cities have "much to learn from China", said Luís Campos Ferreira, Secretary-General of the Union of Luso-Afro-Americo-Asiatic Capital Cities (UCCLA), on Monday.
The organisation held its general assembly on Monday in Macau, a semi-autonomous Chinese region where Portuguese is an official language and which is a founding member of UCCLA.
"The People's Republic of China uses Macau as its platform for Portuguese-language countries and, in this specific case, for Portuguese-language cities. China is very useful and has a lot of knowledge to transmit. We all have a lot to learn from China as well," he said.
The former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (2013–2015) highlighted the need to improve cooperation between Lusophone cities beyond economic and cultural fields. He noted a widespread desire to collaborate further and share knowledge to better meet citizens' needs.
He said that communication exists in various spheres, "notably in the cultural and economic spheres", but that it needs to be strengthened.
The meeting approved several motions of condolence for recent tragedies affecting cities in Portugal, Angola, Cabo Verde, and Mozambique. Members also decided to hold the next UCCLA general meeting in Guimarães, in POrtugal.
A business forum themed "Infrastructure and Smart Cities" will take place on Tuesday to strengthen the institution's economic and commercial dynamics. Following the meeting, the Macau government will organise a visit to the neighbouring Hengqin (Mountain Island). This special economic zone, managed jointly with Guangdong provincial authorities, allows for the exploration of opportunities with companies from mainland China.
Lisbon's mayor of the Oeiras district, Isaltino Morais, attending a UCCLA assembly for the first time, emphasised the importance of joint projects and the sharing of experiences between local authorities.
“It is essential that local authorities are aware of their role and potential. Oeiras has had a very positive experience with decentralised cooperation, with millions already invested in projects, and we are open to cooperation,” he said.
He added that “whilst some local authorities have more advanced experience in certain areas”, others are still “struggling for basic infrastructure”, but that “harnessing these synergies can be very positive for people’s quality of life”.
"Oeiras represents about 10% of the Portuguese GDP (Gross Domestic Product). We are interested in everything related to technological development, biomedicine, biotechnology, and information technology, areas where China has experience and investment capacity," he said.
UCCLA is a non-profit inter-municipal organisation dedicated to fostering exchange and cooperation among its members.
Founded in 1985, its founding cities include Bissau, Lisbon, Luanda, Macau, Maputo, Praia, Rio de Janeiro, and São Tomé/Água Grande. It comprises 106 members, including 24 full members, 44 associates, 28 supporters, and 10 observers.
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