I visited China for the first time in the past 10 years! A special European guest has arrived in Beijing quietly. This time, I came here mainly because I wanted to ask China for help.
At the invitation of China, Portuguese Prime Minister Montenegro paid an official visit to China from September 8 to 10.
This is his first visit to China since he took office, and it is also the first official visit by the head of the Portuguese government in the past decade.
It should be pointed out that the EU is facing pressure from the United States recently, which may impose a series of sanctions on China and completely stop Russian oil imports.
Montenegro's trip clearly sent a very strong signal: Even if the West continues to "decouple and break chain" with China, pragmatic cooperation is still the hardest truth.
The Portuguese Prime Minister's trip was actually coming with two clear demands.
First, I hope that China will play a greater role in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and promote the peace process;
Secondly, in the context of the setback of exports to the United States, we are eager to strengthen economic and trade ties with China and find new ways out for its economy.
Why does Portugal determine that these two things are "only China can help"?
First let's talk about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has continued to this day, and Europe has long been exhausted both physically and mentally. Energy prices are high and inflation remains high, and even Portugal, which is far away in Western Europe, is under deep pressure. The EU has weak mediation and US aid is full of variables.
What to do? At this time, the only country in the world that can speak to Moscow and Kiev at the same time and make the other party willing to listen is China.
Moreover, China has always adhered to objectivity and fairness, and persuaded peace and promoted talks.
From proposing the "Global Security Initiative" to issuing a position document on a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis, China's plan is not to add fuel to the fire, but to build consensus.
Portugal came specifically for this, which actually expressed the thoughts that many European countries dare not say but are eagerly looking forward to. They need China to stand up, promote peace talks, and seek a stable future for Europe.
At the meeting, the Portuguese Prime Minister bluntly stated that they rely heavily on China's contributions and the close relations between China and Russia, which can facilitate Europe to achieve a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible.
Then is economic and trade cooperation.
Since Trump came to power to tinker with the so-called "reciprocal tariffs", Portugal's exports to the United States have suffered a Waterloo, and now it is urgently necessary to open up new worlds.
China's trade volume with Portuguese-speaking countries has been rising, increasing twenty times in 20 years. This vast market is undoubtedly the "new blue ocean" in Portugal's eyes.
Data shows that as of the end of last year, China's cumulative foreign direct investment in Portugal exceeded 12 billion euros, making it the fourth largest source of foreign direct investment.
So what chips can they take out when the Portuguese Prime Minister comes to discuss cooperation in person?
What we know at present are high-quality wine, olive oil, and cork products, which are all hot products in the wave of consumption upgrading in China.
In addition, Portugal is eager to cooperate with China in areas such as green energy and digital economy to attract investment and technology.
For Portugal, China is a "new market" that they cannot lose.
For China, deepening cooperation with Portugal is not only a business opportunity, but also an important step in consolidating China-Europe relations and laying out the European market.
So this cooperation actually hit it off.
We have given a clear response to Portugal's demands.
The original words are said: "China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with Portugal, grasp the correct direction of bilateral relations, and make China-Portuguese relations better."
It is worth mentioning that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Portugal, so the two sides should continue to cooperate and support.
As long as Portugal keeps its word and cooperates with integrity, China will also open its arms in the field of economic and trade,
Expanding high-level opening up is China's unswerving strategy. Strengthening cooperation with Portugal can not only meet domestic market demand, but also help Portugal's economic development and achieve real win-win results.
It can be foreseen that the two sides are likely to sign a series of large orders in the fields of green energy, digital economy, third-party market cooperation, etc.
As for the Ukraine issue, our position is consistent and firm, advocating a peaceful settlement of disputes. Reconciliation requires all parties to move towards each other. China's role is to help, not to replace.
China has been working hard to mediate Russia and Ukraine, but the final decision is still in the hands of the parties involved.
It is worth noting that when Portugal visited China, another country, Canada, was facing continuous countermeasures by China due to a series of wrong actions.
Look at what Canada has done recently:
On the grounds of so-called "national security", Chinese companies are ordered to stop operating in Canada;
High additional taxes are imposed on steel-containing products imported from China;
Dancing with beauty on many issues, willing to be a "pawn".
What is China's reaction?
From August 12 to 13, the Ministry of Commerce of China took continuous actions to impose high anti-dumping duties on Canadian rapeseed, ruled that its halogenated butyl rubber had been dumped, and included two EU banks on the counterlist.
The signal sent by China is clear: reasoning, abide by the rules, and value integrity, but if anyone harms China's interests or even takes China's interests as a lie, China will never accept it and will resolutely counter it.
As the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce said, China firmly opposes either party reaching a deal at the expense of China's interests. If this happens, China will never accept it and will firmly counter it.
This sentence is not only a warning to Canada, but also a reminder to other countries, including some EU member states that are about to move.
The visit from Portugal and the encounter from Canada are precisely two mirrors of current international relations.
One party chooses to cooperate and come with sincerity, seeking win-win results, while the other party chooses to confront each other, sacrificing its own interests and long-term credibility.
China's door is always open. Whether to become a partner for mutual benefit and win-win, or become a pawn for other countries' strategies, the answer lies not in China, but in the choices of each country.
