On October 22, China International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce Fu Ziying and Portugal Minister of Foreign Affairs Dias presided over the 10th meeting of China-Portugal Joint Economic Committee together. Both sides exchanged ideas on bilateral economic and trade relations and the Belt and Road construction, third-party market cooperation and China International import Expo (CIIE). Assistant Minister of Commerce Ren Hongbin attended the meeting.
Fu Ziying said that in recent years, the leaders of China and Portugal visited each other frequently, which promoted the continuous development of China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries have carried out pragmatic cooperation in various fields such as trade and investment and achieved positive results. In January-August 2018, the bilateral trade volume between China and Portugal was US$3.94 billion, with an increase of 7.6% year on year. The Chinese and Portuguese companies achieved positive outcomes in two-way investment and third-party market cooperation. Fu Ziying welcomed the Portuguese side to participate in the CIIE. He hoped that Portugal would use this international public platform to fully display its national image and first-class products and technologies, gain more business opportunities, and push China-Portugal economic and trade cooperation to a higher level.
Fu Ziying proposed four suggestions for further developing China-Portugal economic and trade relations. First, we should carry out the Belt and Road construction. Second, we should jointly safeguard the authority of the multilateral trading system. Third, we should continue to expand trade and investment cooperation. Fourth, we should continuously strengthen third-party market cooperation.
Dias said that the relations between Portugal and China are good, bilateral economic and trade cooperation is progressing smoothly, and tourism cooperation is developing at a high speed. Portugal is willing to actively participate in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, support the maintenance of the multilateral trading system, and will continue to open its market to Chinese investors, support enterprises of both sides in strengthening cooperation in third-party markets, and jointly expand the markets in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa. Portugal is actively preparing to participate in the work related to the first CIIE, and Portugal wishes the Expo a complete success.
They also exchanged ideas on the concrete issues of their own concern.
