Portugal and China re-established diplomatic relations 25 years ago and ties between the two countries have never been as close as they are today.
As a clear indication of the importance that Portugal is placing on developing its relationship with the world's fastest-growing economy, the country opened its first consulate in the mainland last year.
'We opened a consulate in Shanghai in 2006, which means that we want to expand our political and commercial relationship from Macau and Beijing to Shanghai,' said Pedro Moitinho de Almeida, Consul-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong. Consular affairs for northern China were formerly handled through the Portuguese Embassy in Beijing.
According to the National Institute of Statistics of Portugal, the country's most important export to the mainland and Hong Kong last year was integrated circuits. Its most important export to Taiwan was particle boards. Not surprising to anyone who has dined at one of Macau's many Portuguese eateries, wine was the most important export to the former Portuguese enclave, accounting for nearly two thirds of the wine consumed there last year.
Portugal's most important imports from the mainland were rosin and resin acids, flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, automatic data processing machines, telephone sets and electric instant water heaters.
Wristwatches and telephone sets were its most important imports from Hong Kong. Automatic data processing machines were its most important import from Taiwan.