China-Portugal Friendship Association Founded in BeijingThe China-Portugal Friendship Association, a non-governmental friendship organization, was formally founded Friday, December 29.Li Jing, a Standing Committee member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and also deputy-director of the Subcommittee of Foreign Affairs, assumes the post of president. The association is expected to help deepen mutual trust and friendship and promote comprehensive cooperation between the two counties through a variety of non-governmental activities, according to Chen Haosu, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Chen said at Friday's founding ceremony that on December 20 of 1999 a new chapter in Sino-Portuguese ties was opened with the ending of the colonial rule of Macao by Portugal. Macao's smooth return to the motherland is an important step towards the reunification of the country and the successful settlement of the issue has created a solid political foundation for relations between China and Portugal, Chen said, expressing the belief such a foundation would be further consolidated in the new century. Portuguese ambassador to China Pedro Catarino spoke highly of the bilateral ties since the forging of diplomatic relations in 1979, referring to the growing contacts in the political, economic and cultural fields, the frequent high-level exchange of visits, and especially the return of Macao to China last year. He expressed the conviction that the newly founded association would play an important role in promoting relation between the two countries and the two peoples. |
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