Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Portugal
Relationship assessment
A cooperative partnership shaped by the Macau handover, bilateral strategic ties and economic engagement
People's Republic of China toward Portugal
+35China negotiated with Portugal over Macau's transfer and participated in the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration, providing for the territory's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1999. The two governments later established a comprehensive strategic partnership and pursued economic cooperation.
Portugal toward People's Republic of China
+30Portugal negotiated the transfer of Macau to Chinese sovereignty under the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration, which took effect in 1999. Portugal subsequently developed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China and signed a Belt and Road cooperation memorandum in 2018.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship combines sustained government engagement and economic cooperation with a major negotiated settlement over Macau. The strategic partnership and continued cooperation support a positive assessment, while Portugal's EU membership shapes the context for its relations with China.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and Portugal have maintained a cooperative relationship shaped by the negotiated transfer of Macau and a broad bilateral partnership. Their governments established a comprehensive strategic partnership and pursued economic cooperation, including Portugal's participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative. Engagement operates alongside Portugal's membership in the European Union and related policy constraints.
Key developments
China and Portugal signed the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration on the future of Macau.
Macau was transferred from Portuguese administration to Chinese sovereignty.
China and Portugal established a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Portugal signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral economic cooperation agreements are unclear.
- The extent of recent bilateral policy disagreements is uncertain.