Chinese Premier Stresses Cooperation with Portuguese-Speaking Countries

“China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad brothers true to the name.China will give priority to Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy as always and firmly support Pakistan in realizing prosperity and revitalization.We are ready to work with the new Pakistani government to have close exchanges at all levels, substantiate and expand practical cooperation, build CPEC toward sustainable, livelihood-oriented,and high-standard objectives, and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era for the well-being of the two countries and the two peoples.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at the regular press conference on April 14, 2022.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for strengthening cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries during a conference on April 10.

Li made the remarks online while attending the opening ceremony of a special ministerial conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), also known as Forum Macao.

Trade between China and the PSCs has exceeded US $100 billion for five consecutive years and reached US $200 billion last year, fully demonstrating the resilience and potential of cooperation, Li noted.

Li said that China would make more contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting mutual development and prosperity of all countries together with the PSCs and the international society.

China is willing to increase cooperation with the PSCs in vaccines, medication,and health, and set up a communication center on epidemic prevention in China’s Macao Special Administrative Region, said the premier.

Calling for further enhancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation,Li said that China is willing to improve collaboration in advancing infrastructure connectivity, industrial capacity, energy conservation, and environmental protection with the PSCs.

Government delegates from China and eight PSCs, including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste, attended the meeting.