"The percentage of people in Macao who can speak Portuguese is larger than in any other Chinese city," he said, adding that about 3 to 4 percent of Macao's total population can speak the language at varying levels.

Ngai urged the authorities of Macao to train more people who can master both sides' languages and cultures.

Chen Yueguang, vice-chairman of the board of the China Youth Development Foundation, said at the forum that geographic position is no longer the vital factor to determine whether an area can become a hub for cross-cultural communication in a modern age marked by jet planes and the Internet.

"The system and the talent are determining factors, so Macao should become more open to attract outstanding people from the outside," Chen said.

Jose Luis de Sales Marques, the president of the Institute of European Studies of Macao, who was born in Portugal and grew up in Macao, agreed that Macao should encourage the development of higher education institutions and art to enable it to become an appealing region for cross-cultural communication.

Marques also believes that Macao should work harder to solve emerging problems, such as the air and noise pollution, amid the development of its booming gaming industry that attracts about 20 million tourists annually.

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