EU-China relations and Africa top the agenda for today's meeting
between Premier Wen Jiabao and Jose Socrates, the visiting
prime minister of Portugal.
"I am here to reinforce the political ties between Portugal and
China and further our strategic partnership in all domains," he
said after arriving in Beijing yesterday evening, adding that
Sino-Portuguese ties are in excellent shape.
Socrates is due to sign cooperative agreements with the Chinese
premier on justice, the economy, finance, culture and taxation. It
was also revealed that the two sides have worked out solutions to
extradition issues and would sign a pact.
Accompanied by a large business delegation representing a
cross-section of Portuguese sectors, Socrates said he hoped to
present "a modern Portugal" to China, encouraging Chinese
entrepreneurs to go and invest in his country, and vice versa.
He quoted a Portuguese poet, saying "a part of us goes to the
East and a part of us is in the East," when talking about the
Portuguese understanding of China, before leaving for dinner at the
famous Quanjude Peking Roast Duck Restaurant.
Aside from bilateral issues, his discussions with Wen will also
touch upon preparations for the China-EU summit scheduled for
November in Beijing.
"The summit will be a good opportunity for EU countries and
China to discuss political and economic issues," which would
include "sensitive issues," Socrates said, commenting on the
lifting of the EU arms embargo on China.
Socrates emphasized that Africa was an important issue and he
aimed to achieve "coordination of our policies" towards the
continent.
Portugal is preparing for the EU-Africa Summit to be held in
Lisbon later this year, he said, stressing that Portugal's and the
EU's relations with African countries are very special, stretching
back in history.
Making his first visit to the Chinese mainland, Socrates said he
was eager to see a "modern Macao," which he visited a few months
following its handover in 1999.
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"I've heard Macao is now an example of success, contributing a
lot to China's growth," he said.?
Analysts say Sino-Portuguese ties have taken a great leap
forward since the return of Macao and have been developing
rapidly.
"Macao's smooth handover and its continuing prosperity have
greatly enhanced Portuguese confidence in the Chinese government
and opened a new page in establishing a sound foundation for
cordial relations," said Zhao Junjie, senior researcher at the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Zhao said using Macao as a trade platform to link China and
Portuguese-speaking countries is a sound strategy as the special
administrative region is uniquely qualified to liaise between the
two sides.
Zhao said Portugal considers the coastal city with colonial-era
buildings and streets a showcase of its culture in the East while
on the other hand, China wants to take advantage of Macao's
strengths to better integrate with other parts of the world.
According to official figures, two-way trade reached US$1.7
billion last year, 40 percent up from the previous year. China is
the third biggest buyer of Portuguese exports outside the EU.
(China Daily January 31, 2007)
