WorldWay Report: At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Portuguese Republic Aníbal Cavaco Silva arrived in Shanghai on the 13th of this month, beginning a six-day visit to China. This is an important visit between the two countries since the visit to Portugal by then-President Hu Jintao in 2010, and it coincides with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Portugal. President Silva's delegation to China is powerful, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economy, Minister of Education, more than 100 entrepreneurs, senior executives, and university presidents, which shows the high importance President Silva attaches to this trip. In addition to hoping to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations between China and Portugal, he will also further seek cooperation in fields such as scientific research, education, and the promotion of the Portuguese language.
On the afternoon of the 13th, Ms. Zhang Li, General Manager of the Shanghai branch of WorldWay Group, had the honor of being invited to attend the "2014 Spring Portugal Investment Summit Forum" held at the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, and had cordial talks and exchanges with high-level Portuguese officials, including Portuguese Member of Parliament Mr. Mario Magalhaes, former Portuguese Foreign Minister and President of the China-Portugal Friendship Association Mr. Francisco Leite, and Mayor of São João da Madeira, Mr. Victor.
At the "2014 Spring Portugal Investment Summit Forum," Portuguese Member of Parliament Mr. Mario Magalhaes stated that "Portugal has completely exited the assistance program provided by the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," marking Portugal's official emergence from the financial crisis. Among these, "exports, tourism, and investment are the pillars of Portugal's economic growth and job creation." For this reason, he will strive to promote Portugal as an ideal destination for foreign investment. In fact, since President Hu Jintao's visit to Portugal in 2010, Chinese investment has poured into Portugal in large numbers, including the China Three Gorges Corporation's stake in the Portuguese power company Energias de Portugal (EDP), the State Grid Corporation of China's stake in the Portuguese grid company Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Fosun International Limited's controlling stake in the largest Portuguese financial group—Caixa Seguros, a company under the state-owned Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), as well as Huawei's investments in Portugal, and so on. Since then, economic and trade relations between China and Portugal have entered a period of rapid growth. Portugal is currently China's third-largest trading partner among Portuguese-speaking countries, with a total trade volume of 3.9 billion USD.
Portugal's economic recovery is inseparable from Chinese investors. Portuguese Member of Parliament Mr. Mario Magalhaes stated, "I look forward to meeting directly with Chinese investors who are interested in investing in Portugal to introduce the geographical advantages our country possesses for foreign investment." He added, "I hope this trip will allow Chinese investors to better understand Portugal," and also expressed the hope that "more Chinese people will visit Portugal."
Following the speech by the Portuguese Member of Parliament, former Portuguese Foreign Minister and President of the China-Portugal Friendship Association Mr. Francisco Leite also stated, "The relationship between China and Portugal has a long history, and economic and trade exchanges are close." He is very much looking forward to developing more cooperation with China in the future, especially by leveraging the advantage of his country's close relations with Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and Latin America to further strengthen cooperation with China in the African, Latin American, and Mediterranean regions. With its stable political and legal environment, the Portuguese government provides high-quality services to Chinese investors. Not only for large Chinese state-owned enterprises and central enterprises, the Portuguese government also very much welcomes more Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises, private enterprises, and individual investors to visit Portugal, invest in Portugal, and immigrate to Portugal. The Portuguese government provides comprehensive measures such as tax incentives and the Golden Residence Permit to provide a favorable investment environment for Chinese investors.
Between the lines of the speeches by high-level Portuguese officials, WorldWay believes that the Portuguese government has conveyed two important messages to Chinese investors during this visit to China: First, Portugal's economy has begun to recover, and now is a good time to invest in Portugal; Second, investments by Chinese investors in Portugal will receive policy support from the Portuguese government, legal support from the Portuguese Parliament, and a warm welcome from the Portuguese people.
Finally, in recognition of the remarkable contributions made by WorldWay in China-Portugal investment cooperation, the Portuguese Member of Parliament presented WorldWay with the "Major Contribution Award for Promoting Investment in Portugal." Ms. Zhang Li, General Manager of the Shanghai branch of WorldWay, accepted the award on behalf of WorldWay Group.
Being honored with the "Major Contribution Award for Promoting Investment in Portugal" is a reflection of WorldWay's well-deserved recognition after years of hard work. As a leading institution in Portuguese immigration, WorldWay was the first to promote the "Portugal Golden Residence Permit Program" in China and the only one in the world to establish a customer service team in Europe. Through unremitting persistence and effort, WorldWay has gathered a wealth of successful experience in the field of immigration to Portugal, laying a valuable foundation for clients to immigrate smoothly and quickly. The establishment of the WorldWay Portugal branch in 2014 further considers what clients think and addresses their urgent needs, meeting the comprehensive requirements of Chinese investors for property purchase, immigration, and living in Portugal. Trust WorldWay, and we will make your immigration dream come true with peace of mind.
