The country of China has expressed deep appreciation towards the participation of the country of Portugal in the One Belt, One Road project, noting that the strategic location of the country of Portugal, as well as the fact that it was one of the first western European countries to join the international vision of Beijing.
In a statement which has been sent to the Lusa News Agency only a few days before the president of the country of Portugal – Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa – was due to start his state visit to the country of China, the government of China praised the active adhesion and attention of the city of Lisbon to their plan and project. The project is based around the idea that encompasses a network of
railways and highways that will connect the western region of the country of China to Europe and the Indian Ocean, crossing the country of Russia and the central region of Asia. The project will also include a range of ports that will be located in Africa and the Mediterranean water. These ports are certain to further strengthen the maritime links of the prosperous coastal cities of the country of China. In the statement, Beijing has stressed the importance of the position that the country of Portugal has in the extreme West of Eurasia, hinting at coordination with the city of Lisbon which would include an Atlantic route in the Chinese project, thereby allowing the port of Sines to connect the Far East routes to the Atlantic Ocean and thus benefit from the expansion of the Panama Canal.
Recalling the visit of the president of the country of China – Xi Jinping – to the city of Lisbon last December, this has raised the relations between the two countries to a new level and the Chinese authorities have stated that they consider the country of Portugal to be a positive example for cooperation between the country of China and Europe.
– Portugal is one of the first western European countries to sign a cooperation document under the scope of the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative. – The statement noted.
