The Prime Minister of Portugal used an audience with the President of China, Xi Jinping, on Saturday in Beijing, to request more Chinese investment, including greenfield investments, according to international agencies.

António Costa, who is due to arrive in Macau on Monday to attend the 5th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macau, said that one of the objectives of his official visit to China was to target Chinese investments aimed at the acquisition of assets for new industrial areas and ports in Portugal.

In addition to traditional economic sectors where China has already applied capital in the Portuguese market, including finance and energy, the prime minister said “there are new prospects in the ports sector, especially with the great Chinese project of a new maritime Silk Road.”

“A port like the one at Sines may have an important role to play, and China still wants to establish a major international connection in the energy field and, following the agreement between Portugal and Morocco, this is an area that may become interesting,” added the Portuguese Prime Minister.

At the end of the audience granted by Xi Jinping, Costa announced the two countries would sign two agreements in the cultural area, the first of which involves setting up cultural centres and the second is related to handling files. (macauhub)