China and Portugal issued a joint press communiqué on Thursday, the third day of Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio's state visit to China.

In the communiqué, China and Portugal speak positively of their relationship over the past 25 years and vow to further enhance bilateral ties through strengthening high-level reciprocal visits and deepening exchanges and cooperation in economy, culture, education, science and technology, tourism, and judicature.

Both parties praise the achievements of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) during the past five years and agree that the MSAR should continue to play an important role in strengthening ties between China and Portugal.

Portugal will open a consulate in Shanghai and dispatch an honorary consul to Hong Kong this year.

The country reaffirms its support of the one-China policy and opposes any unilateral action that will change the status of Taiwan or exacerbate cross-Straits tensions. Portugal also supports the holding of constructive dialogues to resolve the Taiwan problem peacefully.

Both countries reiterate the importance of the European Union's lifting of the arms embargo on China to promote and cement political ties. Portugal will continue supporting the ending of the embargo in accordance with the stance it expressed at the Seventh China-EU Leaders' Summit in December.

Both sides note the importance of the EU granting full market economy status to China to deepen their strategic partnership.

The two countries agree that human rights dialogues between China and the EU are conducive to promoting human rights. They will strengthen dialogues in this regard on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

Both nations vow to work together in the international arena to fight AIDS, terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime, as well as illegal immigration. They agree that China and the EU should begin negotiating a repatriation pact at an early date.

Sampaio is visiting China from January 11 to 17 as guest of President Hu Jintao to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2005)