The fiigures, based on statistics from the Chinese Customs Services showed that trade between Lisbon and Beijing amounted to US$928 million (€752 million) through February.

Portugal imported goods worth approximately US$586 million from China, with Lisbon having a negative trade balance with China of about US$245 million.

Imports of Chinese products increased by US$161 million (17.5%), compared to the same period of last year.

The same figures showed that trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries reached US$20.4 billion (€16.5 billion) over the first two months of the year, with growth of 37.4%.

Brazil is China's main partner in the Portuguese-speaking bloc, with trade of US$14.49 billion. China bought products from Brazil worth US$9.16 billion and Brazil bought goods worth US$5.32 billion from China.

In January and February 2017, trade between the two countries totalled €10.35 billion.

Angola is in second place terms of China's trade with Portuguese-speaking countries with trade with China totalling US$4.61 billion, with Luanda sending Beijing products worth US$4.23 billion and making purchases of US$380.8 million.

China established the Macau Special Administrative Region as a platform for economic and trade cooperation with the Portuguese-speaking countries in 2003, the year in which it created the Macau Forum.