China–Portugal relations, can be traced to 1514 during the Ming dynasty of China. Relations between the modern political entities of the People's Republic of China and the Portuguese Republic officially began on 2 February 1979. China and Portugal established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2005. Both nations maintain friendly relations, which is due to three main reasons – the first being the Portuguese handover of Macau in 1999, the second being the Portuguese prominence in the Lusophone, which includes nations China wishes to promote relations with, and third being the extensive history of Portuguese presence in Asia.
Economic relations Trade between the two countries have increased since the resolution of the longstanding issue of Macau's future and the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping in the early 1980s. In 2002, trade between the two countries was valued at $380 million.
China's exports to Portugal are textile goods, garments, shoes, plastics, acoustic equipment, steel materials, ceramic goods and lighting equipment. China is Portugal's ninth-largest trading partner.
Portugal's exports to China are electric condensers and accessory parts, primary plastics, paper, medicinal, textile goods and wine.Portuguese Wine Makers Eye Growing Chinese Market
Portugal participated in Shanghai's Expo 2010 to boost bilateral trade further.Sino-Portuguese ties to improve via Expo 2010, officials say
Cultural relations During the celebration of the Year of the Rooster, the Chinese Lunar New Year that fell on 28 January 2017, a huge rooster, the symbol of Portugal, created by famous Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, was ferried to China from Lisbon to congratulate the Chinese with New Year greetings."A Bite of Chinese Culture in Portugal", Macau Daily Times, 7 December 2017
History
Contemporary era Following World War II, the United Nations expected its member states to relinquish any colonies. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Salazar sought to resist UN pressure to relinquish Macau. In 1951, the Salazar regime sought to re-characterize Macau not as a colony but as an overseas province of Portugal, which it viewed as part of a plural-continental but nonetheless unified and indivisible Portuguese state.
The Portuguese Estado Novo adopted the idea of Lusotropicalism, which sought to cast Portugal's imperialism as a "better" form of colonialism. It contended that Portugal peacefully fostered beneficial race-mixing, while the northern European countries had engaged in true colonialism. As applied by the Portuguese to Macau, this narrative was favorably viewed in China as consistent with the narrative that Portugal had not colonized Macau, but had only been "allowed" to administer Macau.
After the Carnation Revolution, Portugal began its process of decolonization. Over the next several years, Portugal made two offers to return Macau, both of which were rejected by the Chinese government. In 1979, following the formal establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries reached a secret agreement to characterise Macau as a "Chinese territory under Portuguese administration".
Relations between Portugal and China began to improve as talks in relation to Macau's future were conducted, and a final agreement was reached, with Macau being returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999.China and Portugal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 12 October 2003 After Macau was returned to China, its ties with Portugal have largely been based on cultural and economic exchanges.
China and Portugal both participated in the multi-lateral group Forum Macao, which China formed in 2003 in order to increase economic and commercial cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.
Resident diplomatic missions
of China in Portugal Lisbon (Embassy)Embassy of China in Lisbon
of Portugal in China Beijing (Embassy)Embassy of Portugal in Beijing Guangzhou (Consulate-General)Consulate-General of Portugal in Guangzhou Macau (Consulate-General)Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau Shanghai (Consulate-General)Consulate-General of Portugal in Shanghai
See also Portuguese Macau (1557–1999) Foreign relations of China Foreign relations of Portugal History of Macau Chinese people in Portugal List of ambassadors of China to Portugal List of ambassadors of Portugal to China
Notes
References
Sources
External links Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Portugal