President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Portugal from Dec 4 to 5. This is the first such trip to the country by a Chinese president in eight years.

Xi will hold talks with his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, meet with President of the Parliament Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues and Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of diplomatic relations, pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Political ties

February 8, 1979

China and Portugal established diplomatic relations.

April 1987

The two countries reached an agreement on resolving the issue of Macao after equal consultations, and issued a joint declaration on the return of Macao to Chinese sovereignty.

Dec 1999

The two countries realized the smooth handover of Macao from Portugal to China via negotiation.

2005

China and Portugal established a comprehensive strategic partnership.

May 2014

Then-Portuguese president Anibal Cavaco Silva visited China from May 12 to 18, 2014.

July 2014

President Xi Jinping made a stopover on the western Portuguese island of Terceira on his way back to Beijing, after he finished a state visit to Cuba.