LISBON – Relations between China and Portugal are experiencing an unprecedented high as evidenced by strong bilateral cooperation across various fields in recent years, Zhang Dejiang, China’s top legislator, has said.
Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), paid an official friendly visit to Portugal from Monday to Wednesday and met with Portuguese leaders on bilateral ties.
During a meeting with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, he said China and Portugal are good friends and partners which understand, respect, trust and support each other.
Zhang also said he hoped that the two countries could enhance political mutual trust and strategic coordination while accommodating each other’s core interests and major concerns.
China attaches great importance to the development of China-European Union (EU) relations, hoping that Portugal, as a major EU member, could continue to play a constructive role in promoting China-EU relations, Zhang added.
The Portuguese president, for his part, said Portugal is willing to work together with China to seize the opportunity and deepen their cooperation.
The president also said Portugal is ready to follow through on the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and implement major bilateral projects in a bid to push the Portugal-China comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.
China and Portugal have pledged to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, which refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
Proposed by China in 2013, the initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.
Mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Portugal has great potential for the initiative, said Zhang while meeting here with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
He noted that Portugal, with its advantageous geographic location, is a strategic partner in the development of the Belt and Road.
Zhang also expressed the hope that Portugal and China could further cooperation under the initiative in order to achieve win-win results.
The Portuguese prime minister, for his part, said Portugal is an active supporter for and participant in the initiative.
Portugal is ready to deepen cooperation with China in such areas as new energy, agricultural products and infrastructure, as well as in culture, education and tourism, Costa said.
Costa added that Portugal welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in the country and will provide a fair and convenient business environment for them.
The Chinese legislature and Portuguese parliament should enhance cooperation to keep up with the general pace of bilateral ties, Zhang said during the meeting with his Portuguese counterpart, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, on Wednesday.
Zhang said China’s NPC is willing to join the Portuguese parliament in increasing cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries and push forward the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership.
He also called for reinforcing friendly exchanges between the two countries at all levels and expanding people-to-people exchanges.
As Portugal is an important destination country for Chinese investment in Europe, Zhang expressed the hope that Portugal would ensure the legitimate rights of Chinese companies and investors in Portugal.
For his part, Rodrigues said Zhang’s visit, the first by a top Chinese legislator to Portugal, has great significance in elevating cooperation between legislative bodies of the two countries and in deepening bilateral ties.
Rodrigues said Portugal regards the visit as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between special committees and friendly groups of the two countries to promote the development of bilateral friendly relations.
Before the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between China’s NPC and the Portuguese parliament was inked by Zhang and Rodrigues.
