Portugal’s ambassador to Beijing has said it is “difficult to understand” why Portugal was left out of China’s recent visa waiver pilot scheme, given the history the two countries share, but said there was hope it would happen eventually.
The remarks, by Ambassador Paulo Jorge Pereira Nascimento, were made in an interview with the Portuguese agency Lusa, and carried in the Macau Daily Times. The diplomat is said to be preparing to approach Chinese authorities on the matter.
The new visa waiver scheme took effect in December last year and included passport-holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. Earlier this month, it was extended to include Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Switzerland – but not Portugal.
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The scheme is for business and leisure visits of up to 15 days, and will be reevaluated after a year.
Nascimento has said that speculating on Beijing’s reasoning for excluding Portugal was futile, as criteria for inclusion in the scheme had not been made public. However, he did not believe it was intended as a slight by China’s government.
China and Portugal are generally thought to maintain close relations, mainly through the latter’s long history in Macao. Members of the sino-lusophone trade and exchange platform Forum Macao – a group including Chinese and Portuguese leaders – are meeting next month.
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China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry reportedly told Lusa it was open to cooperating with Portugal to broaden the countries’ bilateral relations, though did not specify the visa waiver scheme.
The president of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce for Greater China, João Pedro Pereira, said he believed Portugal would eventually be included in the scheme. “If it becomes a reality, it would be a very positive measure for all the Portuguese companies and entrepreneurs,” he said.
Concern over visa requirements is taking place against a backdrop of increasing tension between the local Portuguese consulate and Portuguese citizens living in Macao, who have petitioned the authorities in Lisbon about the consulate’s alleged inefficiency. Recently, new laws have also made it more difficult for Portuguese citizens to get work permits for Macao.
Correction, 19 March 2024: The original version of this article misstated Nascimento’s affiliation with the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and attributed remarks made by its president to the ambassador. This has been amended.
