China’s Government is encouraging Chinese maritime shipping companies to consider using Portuguese ports to move goods to the European market, China’s Ambassador to Portugal, Cai Run, said on Wednesday.

“We are stimulating maritime transportation companies to find a port in Portugal, as a main point for distributing goods to the European Union market,” said the diplomat, as quoted by Portuguese news agency Lusa.

“Portugal is a gateway to Europe and to the Atlantic Ocean. Co-operation can be strengthened in the field of infrastructure. There are very important projects in this area,” Mr Cai added.

He was referring to the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, proposed in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping. The initiative aims – via fresh infrastructure – to connect better the economies along traditional maritime and land trade routes between China and the rest of the world, thus enhancing trade across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

The Ambassador made his remarks at a discussion promoted by the International Club of Portugal. During the session, Mr Cai added that “many Portuguese companies are also looking for new channels to export their products to China”.

Bilateral trade between China and Portugal “rose 8.58 percent year-on-year in 2015,” the Ambassador said. He also recalled Portugal had received so far “more than 7 billion euros [US$7.9 billion] of Chinese investment” and is the “fifth largest destination of Chinese investment in Europe”.