Portuguese Ambassador to China José Augusto Duarte 

 

“I have never been to Hunan, but I have seen Zhangjiajie’s fantastic mountains in the movie Avatar. These landscapes are unique in the world,” Portuguese Ambassador to China José Augusto Duarte expressed a yearning to visit Hunan in an interview while attending the Event of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Presenting Hunan Province.

 

China and Portugal established diplomatic relations in 1979, which ushered in a new era of bilateral relations. Last year, Portugal became the first European Union country to establish a “blue partnership” with China. In recent years, Portugal and Hunan have conducted practical cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, and culture, with many highlights. In 2018, Hunan’s total import and export volume with Portugal was 46.91 million USD, up 60% from last year. Especially in the fields of education and culture, Hunan Normal University, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, and Hunan College of Foreign Studies have respectively signed cooperation agreements with relevant Portuguese universities. There have been frequent exchange visits of teachers and students and academic research exchanges.

 

“Only by understanding each other can we respect each other and achieve mutual benefits,” said Duarte. He added that Hunan is a province with a long history and has made great contributions to China’s development and prosperity. “I will definitely go to Hunan to know more about it. I not only want to see the wonderful mountains in Zhangjiajie, but also want to have more contacts with the local government and enterprises to further strengthen the ties between Portugal and Hunan in various fields.”

 

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan