Li: More doors to open for Portugal

Portuguese companies are welcome to explore the Chinese market, and Beijing encourages domestic enterprises to invest in the European country, Premier Li Keqiang said while meeting with Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva on Monday.

The premier met with Silva during a stopover on Portugal's Terceira Island on his way back to China after a three-day official visit to Cuba. Before that, Li had attended UN General Assembly meetings in New York and visited Canada.

During his meeting with Silva, Li also said both countries should make efforts to offer foreign investors a fair and convenient business environment.

China is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen political trust and enhance mutual understanding and pragmatic cooperation with Portugal, Li said. Beijing also is willing to establish closer people-to-people exchanges and enrich the two nations' comprehensive strategic partnership, he added.

According to the premier, cooperation between the two countries has achieved fruitful outcomes in various fields. Investments by Chinese enterprises in Portugal have maintained growth, and both countries' cooperative efforts in third-party markets, such as Latin America, have seen excellent results, he said.

Li said he hoped both sides would continue to explore the potential to cooperate in such fields as energy and finance, as well as improve coordination in third-party markets.

Silva, special envoy of Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, said Portugal hopes to export more farm and dairy products to China.

Portugal also hopes to further enhance cooperation with China in fields such as energy, transportation infrastructure and logistics, and also wishes to establish cooperation with China in wider regions, Silva added.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said: "The stopover is a good arrangement for both countries to strengthen cooperation, since Portugal has been hit by the European debt crisis and wants to find new investments. China and Portugal can also work together to find more investment opportunities in Portuguese-speaking countries that have a large population."

Contact the writers at huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn