A delegation from China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) this week visited the regional parliament of Madeira, in Portugal, to learn more about the structure of Portuguese autonomous regions, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

“I think today [Tuesday] we have paved the way for co-operation between Madeira’s Legislative Assembly and China’s National People’s Congress,” said Tranquada Gomes, the President of Madeira’s parliament.

Mr Gomes met with the Chinese delegation following a request from the latter. He said the NPC’s representatives were interested in learning how “the regime of autonomous regions [in Portugal] works, as China has two special administrative regions, Macao and Hong Kong”.

The Chairman of the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions’ Basic Law Committee, Li Fei, led the Chinese delegation. It posed questions about format and policy regarding Portugal’s system for autonomous regions, said Mr Gomes.

The President of Madeira’s parliament told journalists that both sides pledged to “promote this kind of exchange in the future”.

Portugal has two autonomous regions: the archipelagos of Madeira and of Azores.