Wu Zhiwei was an entrepreneur from Macao who helped strengthen the relationship between China and Portugal.
He launched many businesses, including a winery. His family are keeping his legacy alive with his businesses.
CGTN’s Ken Browne tells us more
#China #Portugal
He launched many businesses, including a winery. His family are keeping his legacy alive with his businesses.
CGTN’s Ken Browne tells us more
#China #Portugal
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NewsTranscript
00:00When Ou Jiwei and his wife Lao Chaopeng visited Portugal in 2013, they fell in love with the country.
00:07A Macau entrepreneur and construction expert, Wu knew more about building offices than blending wine.
00:14But when they saw the Quinta da Marmeleira estate 40 minutes from Lisbon,
00:18with its rolling green vineyards steeped in 500 years of history and culture, they were sold.
00:26In 2013, after the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi, we came to invest in Portugal.
00:36We chose here because of the good relations through Macau.
00:39When we arrived here in the Alengue region, it was late summer and the vineyards were full of grapes.
00:45We were so happy. That endless view of grapes, just looking at it makes you happy.
00:54The family moved here to make wine in Portugal partly because they could see the potential for the growth of the wine market in China
01:02and partly because of the lifestyle. I mean, look at it. Who wouldn't want to live here?
01:10A new dream matured quickly.
01:14Now that dream is a reality with award-winning wines.
01:18But tragedy struck last January when Wu Zhiwei passed away suddenly, aged just 57.
01:26The Portuguese government posthumously awarded him the Merit Medal for strengthening ties between Portugal and China.
01:34And the Macau business community called him a dynamic example of Luso-Chinese relations and a visionary businessman.
01:42His wife, Lao Chaopeng, and his daughter, Carmen, now run the family business, keeping Wu's bridge-building legacy alive.
01:51On the 25th anniversary of the peaceful return of Macau to China,
01:55we think that the friendly relationship and close ties between the two countries will continue to develop positively.
02:02We are very confident of that.
02:05Nearly 95% of all wine consumed in China is red wine,
02:09and Quinta da Marmalera produces soft, smooth reds using Syra Castelao and Tordiga Nacional grapes.
02:18Perfect for the Chinese palate.
02:22Over 300,000 bottles a year are corked here, with 65% going to China and Southeast Asia.
02:30Locally, the company employs around 40 people, creating Portuguese wine with a Cantonese accent
02:36that is deeply rooted in family and close relations that have been swirling for centuries.
02:42Ken Brown, CGTN, Alenquer, Portugal.