Chinese Trade Minister Wang Wentao used a meeting in Lisbon with Portuguese Economy Minister Pedro Reis to criticize the recent trade protection measures taken by the European Union.
Both minister held talks in Lisbon on Tuesday to discuss measures to promote bilateral economic and trade relations.
On the issue of fair competition, Wang criticized the recent trade protection measures taken by the EU, which he said had severely disrupted mutually beneficial industrial cooperation and affected the confidence of Chinese companies investing in Europe.
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Wang noted that protectionism is not a viable solution, but a dangerous dead end.
He called for equal discussions with the EU on economic and trade concerns and advocated fair competition based on expanded cooperation to improve Sino-European economic and trade relations.
Reis agreed with Wang’s views, saying that expanding cooperation and fair competition are the right ways to combat trade protectionism.
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He stressed the need for strengthened cooperation between Chinese and Portuguese companies to contribute more positive energy to global economic development.
Reis also expressed Portugal’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as mutual investment, trade in agricultural and food products, people-to-people exchanges and collaboration in the third-party market, with the strengthening of the role of Forum Macau.
Wang expressed China’s willingness to collaborate with Portugal in implementing the results of the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, also known as Forum Macau, held in Macau earlier this year.
