Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro arrived in Beijing on Monday for his first official visit to China, which will run through Wednesday, according to a CGTN social media post. Analysts said the trip sends a positive signal at a time when some European countries are divided over relations with China, highlighting the solid foundation and promising outlook of China-Portugal cooperation.
“This is Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s first visit to China. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with him. Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Zhao Leji will have talks and meet with him respectively. They will have in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference earlier.
According to the Portuguese government’s website, Montenegro is accompanied by the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, and the Minister of Environment and Energy. The program includes a tribute at the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the signing of bilateral legal instruments, and an official banquet.
Portuguese media also highlighted the special nature of this visit, noting that “the trip to China and Japan, with a total of four days of official program, takes place nine years after former prime minister António Costa visited China in 2016 and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa traveled there in 2019,” according to Renascença.
Renascença also cited a source from the prime minister’s office who framed Luís Montenegro’s visit to China as part of Portugal’s “diplomatic tradition,” stressing that all Portuguese presidents and several prime ministers have visited the country, the world’s second-largest economy and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
