China-Portugal relations should center on win-win cooperation: Chinese VP
Lisbon, The Gulf Observer: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa during his visit to Portugal from Sunday to Tuesday, highlighting that China-Portugal and China-Europe relations should center on win-win cooperation.
Talking with Rebelo de Sousa in Lisbon, Han hailed the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations under the guidance of the two heads of state.
Han said China has fully resumed its economic and social operation since this year, creating conditions for larger cooperation opportunities for various countries, including Portugal.
China is committed to developing friendly cooperation with all countries, building a new type of international relations and expanding the convergence of interests with other countries, Han noted.
The Chinese vice president said China is willing to work with Portugal and Europe to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and serve their own economic development, so as to make positive contributions to the steady recovery of the world economy.
For his part, Rebelo de Sousa said Portugal is always committed to building Portugal-China relations of friendship, mutual trust and active cooperation.
The Portuguese side will further strengthen high-level exchanges between the two countries and deepen cooperation in areas such as trade and technology, he said, pledging efforts to continue to actively promote Europe-China constructive cooperation.
Boost more practical cooperation
Han also met with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa in Lisbon during his visit and they vowed to boost more practical cooperation to achieve more results and better promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Portugal is an excellent window for Chinese enterprises to enter the European market, Han said, adding that enterprises of both countries closely cooperate and achieve important results, which reflects the high level of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
China encourages more Chinese enterprises to invest in Portugal and welcomes more enterprises from various countries, including Portuguese enterprises, to invest and develop in China, he said, expressing hope for extensive exchanges with the Portuguese government and all walks of life.
For his part, Costa said Portugal adheres to the one-China principle and supports the practice of “One Country, Two Systems” in Macao.
The two countries have established a good partnership through Macao, Costa said, adding that it is hoped that both countries will work together to offer the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao) more vitality.
The two sides also exchanged views on issues such as the Ukraine crisis.
Han reiterated China’s stance of promoting talks for peace, adding that China will continue to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis.
