Portugal’s top lawmaker has hailed Macao as a “strategic platform” between Lisbon and Beijing during a two‑day visit that underscored the city’s enduring role as a lusophone bridge to the Chinese‑speaking world. José Pedro Aguiar‑Branco, president of Portugal’s Assembly of the Republic, met Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai last Friday at Macao Government Headquarters, in the highest‑level Portuguese parliamentary visit to the SAR since the pandemic.
Aguiar‑Branco’s stop in Macao capped a wider mission to China that also took in Beijing and Shanghai, undertaken at the invitation of Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. The visit came as both sides marked 45 years of diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of Macao’s handover, milestones Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has linked to deeper cooperation in trade, new energies, maritime affairs and the digital economy.
During talks with Sam Hou Fai, the two sides reaffirmed Macao’s function as a platform between China and the Portuguese‑speaking world, with the Chief Executive stressing opportunities in finance, tourism, education and legal services tied to the Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.
[See more: Macao strengthens ties with Portugal during prime minister’s visit]
Aguiar‑Branco, accompanied by a cross‑party delegation from the Portugal–China Friendship Group, highlighted Macao’s value not only as a cultural bridge but also as a place where businesses and institutions from both countries could test new partnerships in a relatively familiar legal and linguistic environment.
The meeting comes just days before Sam Hou Fai embarks on his first overseas tour since late 2024, including a stop in Lisbon as well as Madrid, Brussels and Geneva from mid‑April. Portuguese lawmakers in Macao told Lusa that “in a world of great uncertainty”, Portugal needs to keep China in mind as a key partner, and that Macao offers a pragmatic channel for managing that relationship.
Beyond the formal meetings, Aguiar‑Branco visited the Portuguese School of Macao and Portugal’s stand at the Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo. He also met members of Macao’s Portuguese and legal communities before travelling on to Hong Kong to tour the Estórias Lusas exhibition and hold talks with the territory’s Portuguese and Macanese diaspora.
