China seeks stronger ties with Europe in meeting with Portugal foreign minister

25/3/2025 19:24

Chinese foreign minister met with his Portuguese counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday, calling for closer ties with Europe as Chinese and European leaders navigate intensifying global trade tensions.



China will work with Portugal to promote Chinese-European relations, Wang Yi told Portugal's Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, according to a Chinese ministry statement.



"China regards Europe as an important pole in a multipolar world, and supports Europe in maintaining its strategic autonomy," Wang said.



Rangel's visit, the first by a high-level Portuguese government official in over five years, came as EU member states fret over the prospect of a trade war with both Washington and Beijing.



Top officials in Beijing and European capitals are looking at each other with renewed interest as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration threatens to upend transatlantic ties and global trade.