Mainland telecommunications group Huawei has opened an innovation centre in Lisbon, Portugal, the Jornal de Negócios reports.

The Portuguese newspaper quotes Minister for the Economy Caldeira Cabral as saying it was “a very interesting commitment from Huawei towards Portugal” that could boost economic activity and create jobs.

Huawei has pledged to train 5,000 university students to help “strengthen the skills of Portuguese professionals,” Mr Cabral says.

Since an official tour of the Mainland in October, several Chinese companies have expressed an interest in investing in Portugal, particularly in the renewable energy and automotive industries, Mr Cabral added.