China-Portugal cooperation could be key to China-EU cooperation

A webinar titled "The Future of Sino-Portuguese and Sino-European Cooperation" was held on May 25.

The meeting was hosted by the Bureau of International Cooperation of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Portugal's University of Coimbra and the Institute of European Studies of CASS.

Rui Lourido, president of the Observatory for China in Portugal, said Portugal's five-century peaceful relationship with China can be a boost to today's relationship between Europe and China, and may help the EU reconsider ratification of the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment.

Lourido also said, "Western countries must deeper the partnership and complementarity with China", as the Belt and Road Initiative is a consistent project to build a peaceful world and link the East and West.

Yao Ling, director of the European Institute at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said China-EU economic and trade cooperation should not be affected by differing values.

China and the EU should develop their potential in the green and digital economy in areas such as carbon neutrality, 5G and big data, finding ways to establish dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, he added.

Bilateral and multilateral economic and trade agreements should be made to help Chinese companies avoid legal risks of investment in countries that participate in the BRI, said Mo Jihong, director of the Institute of International Law at CASS.

Zhao Chen, senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at CASS, said Portugal has been open and pragmatic about cooperation with China, and China-Portugal trade kept its momentum during the pandemic in 2020, which can help advance China-EU cooperation.

Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Zhao Bentang and his Portuguese counterpart José Augusto Duarte delivered speeches online, both mentioning the growing importance of China-Portugal as well as China-EU exchanges on dealing with the climate and the pandemic.