The Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Portugal, Yang Yirui, stated that the two countries can achieve an exemplary level of co-operation in the automotive manufacturing sector, during his intervention at the international conference "Juntos, Criamos Futuro – Together, Leading the Way", organised by the National Association of the Automotive Sector (ARAN).

"China and Portugal have great potential to collaborate in this area," the diplomat affirmed. "Portugal possesses unique advantages in the production of parts and renewable energies," while "China has extensive experience in the manufacturing of complete vehicles, batteries and intelligent systems" – a context in which "both parties have a bright future for co-operation."

China's rise as a new superpower in the automotive industry was the central theme of the meeting. The way in which the Asian country has altered the global balance of the sector, imposing new rhythms of innovation, competitiveness and productive capacity, made this debate unavoidable. "This approach gains particular relevance for Portugal, which maintains a historical relationship with China spanning more than four centuries and whose automotive sector today faces increasingly intense and structural international competition," ARAN emphasised.

(Source: AICEP, on 13 March)