JUIZ DE FORA (MG) – In a closed working session on the morning of June 1, Mayor Margarida Salomão gathered in her cabinet the full municipal secretariat and Deputy Mayor Marcelo Detoni, alongside the team of the Brazil-China Creative Economy Institute (IECBC) and China's commercial consul in Rio de Janeiro, Jing Yanhui. The meeting, in a seminar format, had a direct goal: turn the rapprochement with China into concrete agendas, department by department.
Held on the same day the city would host the Brazil-China New Era Forum — Juiz de Fora Edition, the meeting reinforced the administration's institutional cohesion: with the mayor, deputy mayor and the entire body of secretaries gathered around the internationalization agenda, Juiz de Fora signaled organization and reliability to receive international investment and partnerships.
**The IECBC presentation**
At the center of the seminar, IECBC president Cláudia Jannuzzi delivered a detailed presentation on the Institute's areas of action and purpose. She showed how each front — from business and technology to education, cities and the creative economy — can connect to the municipal administration's priorities and to real opportunities in the Chinese ecosystem, positioning IECBC as a bridge between local demands and partners in China.
**Sector demands and synergy with China**
In sequence, municipal secretaries took the floor to present their demands and expectations for synergy. Department by department, opportunities for joint projects with China were mapped in areas of strategic interest to the municipality — giving IECBC and the consulate a clear picture of local priorities.
The practical result of the meeting is a cooperation agenda more grounded in the city's real needs. With sector demands identified, IECBC continues as the facilitating arm to turn institutional dialogue into concrete initiatives — articulating companies, institutions and the public sector of both countries around projects for economic, technological, educational and cultural development.
