Portuguese Prime Minister on official trip to China

The Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro began today an official visit to the People’s Republic of China, where he was hosted by President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

At the meeting, Luís Montenegro stressed that "Portugal is a trustworthy and confident country", noting the importance of Chinese investment in the Portuguese economy, namely during the financial crisis. The Prime Minister showed his conviction that both countries "can continue to trail this path based on confidence", boosting cooperation in areas such as energy, banking, health, and water supply.

On an international level, Luís Montenegro asked President Xi Jinping to use China’s close relations with the Russian Federation to "build just and long lasting peace in Ukraine"  "This request, as it comes from a friendly country, will not fall on deaf ears", he claimed, recalling that Portugal "is a bridge builder and an advocate for multilateralism, peace, and human rights".

The Prime Minister also noted Portugal’s international credibility, mentioning the Portuguese leaders of international institutions such as António Guterres (UN), António Costa (European Council) and Durão Barroso (European Commission).

President Xi Jinping in turn stressed that "Portugal is a good friend of China’s" and acknowledged our country’s unique role on the international stage, recalling his State visit to Portugal in 2018 and praising the historical and future ties between both countries.

Following the meetings in Beijing, which included meetings with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji, and with the Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, Luís Montenegro follows to Macau before continuing his official visit to Japan.