Friendship with Portugal seen growing

Xi says two countries should continue deepening mutual trust, cooperation

China and Portugal should continue to expand mutual understanding and trust, and continue to deepen pragmatic cooperation, President Xi Jinping said on Monday, ahead of his state visit to the country.

In a signed article published in the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias, Xi said the two nations should strengthen the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership and work toward a better future for bilateral relations.

He said the two peoples have a long and enduring friendship even though they live at opposite ends of the Eurasian land mass.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979, bilateral relations have enjoyed steady development, he said.

"Our two sides have always trusted, respected and helped each other, and we see bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective," Xi said.

The two countries adhere to the spirit of equality and win-win outcomes in cooperation and stick to concepts of mutual learning and pursuit of common progress to promote people-to-people exchanges, he added.

Going forward, Xi said the two nations should step up high-level exchanges and continue to base their friendship on mutual respect and trust. The two sides should always understand and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, providing a solid political pillar for the long-term development of relations, he said.

The two countries should also take the opportunity to jointly build the Belt and Road, continue making ongoing programs bigger and stronger, expand bilateral trade and foster new growth engines for cooperation, he said.

He also called on the two sides to deepen people-to-people exchanges, expand cooperation in the maritime sector, conduct closer multilateral coordination and work to build and safeguard international systems.

"Portugal is the last stop of my trip, which has taken me across the Eurasian continent and the Atlantic Ocean to destinations in Europe and Latin America, and to Buenos Aires for the G20 Summit," he said.

"What impressed me most during the visit are the strong international calls for a firm commitment to multilateralism and more effective global governance in keeping with the times, and the ardent aspirations of people around the world for peace, tranquility, development, progress and a happier life."

In the face of the difficulties and challenges in today's world, China remains convinced that mutual respect, equal consultation, peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the only ways leading to durable peace and stability in the world and to the common development of mankind, Xi said.