The President of the Republic of Portugal, Cavaco Silva, said today that Portugal has to "quickly grab the open doors" left by his visit to China and must use the goodwill shown by China’s leaders to strengthen Luso-Chinese cooperation.
"I think at this point in Portugal there is some recognition that a deepening of relations with China is important for our economic growth and can solve some problems such as unemployment," said Cavaco Silva, speaking in Macau at the end of his far eastern visit.
"Given the size of this country, to gain even a small market share will have a huge impact in Portugal," he added.
Cavaco Silva argued that if Portugal is able to follow up on the contacts gained during the trip it will be very beneficial for the country.
The President warned that it is up to Portugal to take the initiative as a "country of this size expect the other party to move, not just sit waiting for things to arrive on a silver platter."
Cavaco Silva referred to China as "strategic priority in our relationship," noting that China's economy is predicted to grow by about 7.5% per year.
Cavaco Silva's visit ends tonight and he is the first Portuguese head of state to visit China since 2005.
Besides the Minister of Education and Science, Nuno Crato , two other ministers accompanied Cavaco Silva - the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rui Machete, and the Minister for the Economy, António Pires de Lima. Around 100 top business leaders from Portugal accompanies the politicians.
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