Longhua District signed a friendly exchange relationship with Alenquer, Portugal to enhance international exchanges and bolster economic and trade cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries at a ceremony held at the Macao Economic and Trade Representative Office in Portugal on Feb. 29.

José Honrado (L), councilman of Alenquer, and Lan Tao, director of General Office of Longhua District, shake hands after signing the memorandum of friendly exchange and cooperation at the Macao Economic and Trade Representative Office in Portugal on Feb. 29. Courtesy of Longhua authority

At present, international friendship and exchange have become an important window for cities to open up, an important platform for foreign cooperation, and a vehicle for promoting common development. 

Longhua actively participated in the Belt and Road Initiative and expanded their global network by organizing delegations to visit Macao and Portugal for exchanges in the fields of digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, and industrial development. 

A scene of China (Longhua·Shenzhen) - Portugal (Lisbon) Economic and Trade Cooperation and Exchange Conference in Portugal on Feb. 29.

It has organized enterprises to participate in world-class fairs and hosted the Brazil-Portugal GBA innovation demo day. Through these activities, Longhua has deepened exchanges and cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, and carried out exchanges in economics, trade, science and technology, and fashion, and has achieved substantial results.  

Alenquer, an important transport hub in Portugal, is a 30-minute drive from the center of Lisbon and shares similar geographic advantages with Longhua. It is renowned for being one of the iconic Lisboa wine regions, with a long winemaking history and rich resources and potential in modern fashion, intelligent technologies, and sustainability. These qualities align closely with Longhua's construction of cultural characteristic and modern industrial system.

Alenquer became the first region in district level to sign a friendly exchange agreement with Shenzhen following the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on this partnership, Longhua is committed to furthering economic and trade cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries, contributing to the city’s high-quality development, and actively supporting the Belt and Road Initiative with a strong emphasis on opening up for global engagement.