China vows to boost strategic partnership with Portugal

Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday vowed to boost China's strategic partnership with Portugal to a new level.

"China will work closer with the Portuguese side to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, renewable energy, infrastructure and telecommunication to better serve our economic and social development," Li said while meeting with visiting Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Minister Paulo Portas.

Li applauded the robust growth of bilateral relations, highlighting the two nations' efforts to forge solid political mutual trust and expand two-way trade and mutual investment.

While discussing China-EU relations, Li said the two sides have many shared interests.

"The Chinese side has noted the important consensus reached among EU members to address the debt crisis during the EU summer summit," Li said, noting that the agreement has displayed the EU's confidence to the world and will be conducive to the recovery and growth of the European economy.

After a score of disappointing summits since the beginning of the debt crisis, European leaders made bold moves on Friday to calm financial markets and boost the embattled economy.

At the two-day summit ending on Friday afternoon in Brussels, they decided on a package of measures worth some 120 billion euros (about 150 billion U.S. dollars) to bolster growth.

"China will continue to play a constructive and cooperative role in expanding pragmatic cooperation with the EU in multiple fields," Li said.

He also voiced his hope that Portugal will continue to play an active role in the EU and work to promote the development of China-EU relations.

Echoing Li's views, Portas said Portugal highly values its ties with China and will make joint efforts with China to boost exchanges and cooperation between the two nations.

Portas is on an official visit to China from June 30 to July 8.