Xi Publishes Article in Portuguese Newspaper Ahead of 2018 State Visit

On December 3, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping published a signed article in Portugal’s weekly newspaper Diário de Notícias titled “Friendship that Transcends Time and Space, Partners for the Future” (跨越時空的友誼 面向未來的夥伴) ahead of his state visit. The article quoted the 16th century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões on Portugal’s geographic position and referenced historical cultural exchanges, including the Portuguese adoption of Chinese silk-making techniques. through Belt and Road initiatives, positioning Portugal as a “key hub” that connects the land and maritime Silk Roads. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a major development plan that aims to connect China with the rest of the world. During the visit, Xi and the then-President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signed a Belt and Road Memorandum of Understanding, making Portugal the first Western European nation to formally join the initiative.