Portuguese Minister for Economy Pedro Reis stated in an interview with the Lusa news agency on Monday that Lisbon has expressed its desire for Portuguese passport holders to be granted visa-free entry to China.

Reis stated he discussed the subject with his Chinese counterparts while attending the 6th Ministerial Conference of Forum Macao.

"Portugal has signalled this matter, that we would very much like to be included in the group of countries [that have a visa exemption]," the minister commented.

As it stands, there are 10 European countries on the list, initially announced in December last year and subsequently expanded in March 2024. 

Despite its historic ties with China through Macao, Portugal was notably excluded from the program on both occasions.

Reis couldn't explain the motive for Portugal's ongoing absence from the initiative, stating "it's a question more for China than for Portugal."

China's refusal to grant visa exemption rights for Portugal has left Lisbon's envoy in Beijing, Paulo Nascimento confused.

Back in March he told Lusa the decision was "difficult to understand," although he and other experts believe that the decision was not meant to be seen as a rebuff, particularly regarding Lisbon's de facto ban on Huawei 5G technology.

However, a breakthrough seems to be possible, as the Chinese ambassador in Portugal, Zhao Bentang, mentioned late last month that he believed Portugal would be included in the next phase of the visa waiver list.

That said, Chinese officials have not yet made any announcements regarding a third wave of exemptions.

Beijing's introduction of the visa-free program coincided with a slowdown in the Chinese economy in recent years.

This slowdown led to a significant drop in foreign direct investment in 2023, with a decrease of 80% year-on-year.