Portuguese FM to visit China

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Minister Paulo Portas will pay an official visit to China from June 30 to July 8, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

Portas' visit is at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing in Beijing, noting that Vice Premier Li Keqiang will meet with Portas, and Yang will hold talks with Portas.

Since the establishment of their comprehensive strategic partnership in 2005, relations between the two countries have tightened, Hong said.

In recent years, China and Portugal have made joint efforts to address the financial crisis, witnessed rising friendly mutual trust, expanded pragmatic cooperation as well as closer friendship between their peoples, Hong said.

China is ready to work with Portugal to further enhance political consultation, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges so as to add new elements to the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, he added.