Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva said on Friday in Lisbon that Portugal attaches great importance to its ties with China, voicing his willingness to work with China to further boost bilateral cooperative relations.

President Silva made the remarks when he accepted the credentials of Gao Kexiang, the new Chinese ambassador to Portugal.

The Portuguese president said that the two countries held broad prospects for cooperation, as bilateral economic and trade relations had been developing smoothly in recent years.

He also expressed his hope that the two sides should further deepen cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, science and technology and culture, and further consolidate bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

Acknowledging China's positive role in tackling major issues in the international scene, President Silva said that Portugal expects to strengthen cooperation with China in multilateral areas.

Source: Xinhua