Bernardo Mendia,Secretary General of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, council member of World Green Design Organization WGDO Photo: Courtesy of WGDO

"Amid global volatility, China's policy consistency and deepening openness—from nationwide pilot free trade zones to streamlined foreign investment laws—offer tangible stability," said Bernardo Mendia, Secretary General of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "For European companies, this means predictability: clear timelines for manufacturing, R&D, and green tech subsidies, as well as market depth, more than one billion consumers driving demand for high-quality EU goods such as Portuguese wines and German engineering," he told the Global Times.

Mendia made the remarks in a recent exclusive interview with the Global Times, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding multilateralism amid rising global uncertainties, as the 25th China-EU Summit unfolds. 
 
Further discussing Chinese market, Mendia highlighted China's synergy potential: joint ventures in renewable energy, AI, and sustainable agriculture. While acknowledging ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, Mendia argued that "the key is engagement, not retreat," citing China's more than $1.7 trillion import market in 2023 and its 'dual carbon' goals as anchors for long-term partnerships.
 
Amid rising global market instability, one of the most immediate shocks comes from the US tariff policies. The US has announced a 30 percent tariff on imports from the EU, effective August 1. While negotiations remain likely, many EU countries have shown a strong resolve to safeguard their national interests.

When asked about the uncertainties caused by the US tariff and the broader implications for global trade, Mendia expressed concern over the growing trend of unilateral protectionism. He noted that such actions destabilize global supply chains and penalize consumers. 

Mendia emphasized the importance of rules-based multilateralism, calling it "not merely idealistic - it's an economic imperative." He stressed that as the world's two major trading blocs [China and the EU] share a responsibility to defend the WTO's dispute-resolution mechanisms; accelerate green and digital trade corridors to bypass fragmentation; leverage collective bargaining power against coercive measures.

In his view, protectionism fuels inflation and scarcity, cooperation builds resilience. Mendia also affirmed that China clearly remains committed to the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) framework as a foundation for fairer, greener trade.

When discussing the status and prospects of China-Portugal and broader EU-China trade, Mendia highlighted the rapid growth of bilateral commerce, and underscored Portugal's continued relevance as "a China-EU gateway, especially in Lusophone markets."

He attributed the heath trend of mutual trade to both traditional sectors such as cork, machinery, and olive oil exports to China and emerging areas including Portuguese renewable energy tech like wind and solar projects and Chinese EV investments such as BYD. 

Looking at the wider EU-China landscape, Mendia pointed to several high-potential areas for expansion. "Green Finance, yuan-denominated 'panda bonds' for EU green projects; agritech: precision farming solutions for carbon-neutral food systems; marine economy: offshore wind and blue carbon partnerships," he outlining key growth drivers.

"The most compelling opportunities align with China's dual priorities: sustainability and high-quality consumption," he said, commenting on opportunities for Portuguese as well as European Enterprises in China.

He highlighted green industry empowerment, including through the World Green Design Organization's 'Gree Leaf Mark' certification, and that European firms can access China's trillions of green market, as well as prospects in health and wellness sector covers EU organic food, nutraceuticals, and medical devices for China's aging population. "Also digital integration, like cross-border e-commerce platforms like Tmall for Portuguese SMEs," he added.

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the EU. Over the past five decades, the two sides have built on their complementary strengths in economic and trade cooperation, with bilateral trade expanding more than 300-fold, according to Wang Lingjun, head of the General Administration of Customs.

In the first half of this year, trade between China and the EU reached 2.82 trillion yuan ($389.66 billion), a year-on-year increase of 3.5 percent, according to the customs. The average daily trade volume exceeded 15 billion yuan, roughly equivalent to the entire annual trade value when diplomatic ties were first established. 

During the same period, the EU accounted for 12.9 percent of China's total foreign trade, solidifying its position as the country's second-largest trading partner.