China, Portugal vow to deepen concrete cooperation

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Europe

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva have said in Beijing that both countries are willing to deepen cooperation and increase strategic mutual trust.

They made the remarks during their talks in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, saying both will lay a solid foundation for bilateral ties and benefit both people.

Wang Yi said that despite the fact the world order and multilateralism are challenged, China and Portugal could join hands in pushing forward efforts for global peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Chinese and Portuguese foreign ministers meet on high-level exchanges and deepening ties in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2018. /CGTN photo

Silva told Wang in Beijing that he's very happy to have made the visit. He said that Portugal is willing to work with China, ready to further implement China's Belt and Road Initiative, and become a hub linking Europe and Asia through land and sea.

Both ministers also talked about high-level exchanges, particularly state visits of both leaders to each country at an early date.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a meeting with his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2018. /CGTN photo

Augusto Santos Silva has come to China seeking deeper bilateral ties and will be in China until Tuesday.

His first stop was south China's Guangdong Province, then nearby Macao. He reached a series of cooperative deals with local governments in both places.

Portugal Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva speaks at a meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2018. /CGTN photo

Besides the meeting with Wang, Silva will also meet other Chinese senior officials, including Yang Jiechi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, and Chinese minister of commerce Zhong Shan.

All will take part in the tenth Joint Economic and Trade Committee Meeting between two countries.

His visit is viewed as an important event between China and Portugal, as the year 2019 marks 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, also the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.