Jorge Torres-Pereira, the Ambassador of Portugal to China Photo: Liu Caiyu/GT

Portugal's ambassador to China on Monday has called Beijing the "capital of economic diplomacy" for his country, during an exclusive interview with the Global Times as this year marks the 10th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership.

Jorge Torres-Pereira, Portugal's ambassador to China, said his country plays a significant role in the "blue economy" because it is positioned in the center of the Atlantic sea route, which is consistent with the "One Belt, One Road" initiative of the Chinese government.

On Thursday, Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Huang Songfu also proposed that Portugal be invited to explore a bilateral cooperation within the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

Torres-Pereira said Portugal and China should further develop and deepen their strategic partnership one year after Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva visited China, and also because Portugal is a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The cooperation "will include new trendy areas, including green economies, renewable energy and sustainable organization, which have not been touched on before," he pointed out.

He highlighted Chinese investment in Portugal, saying that Portugal has been the fourth largest destination of Chinese investment in Europe after the UK, Germany and France in the last five years.

"This is no longer Chinese investment in commodities or cultural products; these are sectors which are very mature with high technological content," said Pereira.

Speaking of Chinese investment, the ambassador said that two Chinese companies, Fosun International and Anbang Insurance, have been shortlisted to a 4-billion-euro acquisition of Portuguese bank Novo Banco, which is the country's third-largest bank by assets.

According to the Financial Times, the two companies are expected to submit the highest bids by the end of June, which represent more than 2 percent of Portugal's gross domestic product.

Since Macau was returned to China in 1999, relations between China and Portugal have been consistently sound.

He also said the 2003 Macau Forum has sustained the interests of both countries and Portuguese-speaking countries in a trilateral cooperation arrangement.