china text.indd

This 2008 report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the strategic relationship between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), focusing on the role of the Macau Forum as a foreign policy instrument. It analyzes the economic motivations driving China's engagement—specifically energy and food security—and the varying expectations of the PSCs, ranging from market expansion for Brazil and Portugal to infrastructure and development aid for African PSCs and East Timor.

• The Forum for Trade and Economic Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau Forum) was formally established in October 2003 to promote economic cooperation and trade. Between 2003 and 2006, trade between China and Lusophone countries increased from $11 billion to $34 billion.
• China's interest in the PSCs is driven by pragmatic needs for energy and food security, as these countries possess significant natural resources, including minerals, fertile agricultural land, and fisheries. The relationship is part of a broader 'South–South' foreign policy strategy to secure resources for China's rapid industrialization.
• Brazil and Angola are the most critical partners for China within the Lusophone world, together accounting for 94% of total bilateral trade. Brazil is China's primary economic partner in Latin America, while Angola is its key partner in Africa, with trade between China and Angola growing from $1 billion in 2002 to $12 billion in 2007.
• African PSCs and East Timor view China as a vital source of development aid and a raw materials importer. China provides concessional loans through Eximbank for infrastructure projects—such as roads, railways, and hospitals—often with no conditions regarding transparency, democracy, or human rights, provided the countries recognize the 'one China policy'.
• The Macau Forum serves as a symbolic and instrumental foreign policy tool for China, allowing it to group heterogeneous countries to gain leverage, even though most significant economic agreements are negotiated bilaterally. Macau is utilized as a services platform and a cultural/linguistic bridge to the PSCs.
• The Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) faces significant internal obstacles to cooperation due to vast differences in geographic location, development stages, political systems, and natural resource endowments. Five of the eight member countries are listed as UN least developed countries (LDCs).

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). china text.indd. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/chap_rep_02_alves_200803.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. china text.indd. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/chap_rep_02_alves_200803.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=china text.indd |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/chap_rep_02_alves_200803.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndchina, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{china text.indd}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/chap_rep_02_alves_200803.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }