Commentary by Manuel Silvério*
Last week’s visit of the president of the Portuguese Parliament to China – including Macau – reflects a broader sequence of political, economic and symbolic signals through which China seeks to project stability, openness and continuity in an increasingly uncertain world.
The official visit of the speaker of the Portuguese Parliament, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, to China – including Macau – provides a particularly clear vantage point from which to observe the moment China is seeking to shape and project. It was not merely a protocol visit, nor simply another chapter in bilateral relations. Instead, it is part of a broader sequence of political, diplomatic, and economic developments that, when read together, suggest a deliberate effort to reinforce external dialogue, highlight the role of connecting platforms such as Macau, and project an image of stability in an increasingly uncertain international environment.
Within a few days, a series of notable developments unfolded. Xi Jinping met Cheng Li-wun, a prominent figure from Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang; Wang Yi travelled to North Korea; Xia Baolong’s activities in the Greater Bay Area intensified; the Portuguese parliamentary visit took place; Sanya is preparing to host the Asian Beach Games from April 22 to 30; and a summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump is expected in May in Beijing. Shortly afterwards, global attention will shift to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. All of this is taking place at a moment when tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have once again exposed the fragility of the international system.
Taken individually, these developments may appear unrelated. Taken together, however, they point in a common direction: an effort to reinforce regional stability while maintaining multiple channels of engagement with the outside world.
The situation around the Strait of Hormuz illustrates this clearly. It is not merely an energy issue, but a strategic chokepoint with direct implications for supply chains, pricing and market confidence. It also highlights the limits of coordination among international actors and the growing importance of predictability as a political asset.
In this context, China appears to be pursuing a dual approach: reducing risks in its immediate surroundings while projecting an image of continuity, organisation and controlled openness externally.
Engagement with figures from Taiwan does not alter underlying positions, but underscores the importance of political dialogue. The visit to North Korea contributes to maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula. Developments in the Greater Bay Area, in turn, reinforce a clear trend towards economic integration, bringing Hong Kong and Macau into a more diversified and innovation-driven framework.
Against this backdrop, last week’s visit of Aguiar-Branco takes on added significance. In Beijing, his presence confirms that, alongside global strategic tensions, China continues to invest in maintaining and deepening contacts with European partners – not only at the governmental level, but also through parliamentary and institutional channels, thereby expanding the scope and depth of diplomatic engagement.
This point is particularly noteworthy. Contemporary diplomacy is no longer conducted solely through governments, summits and treaties. It also takes place through representative institutions, political presence and the symbolic value of engagement. During a luncheon with the Portuguese community at Clube Militar in Macau, Aguiar-Branco articulated a significant idea: that the international responsibility of a country is increasingly shared across different levels of representation. In doing so, he underscored a broader shift in how international presence and influence are constructed.
The stop in Macau added further depth to the visit. Beyond its institutional dimension, marked by his meeting with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, it highlighted the enduring symbolic and political weight of Macau as a point of connection between Portugal and China.
In his remarks to the Portuguese community, Aguiar-Branco described Macau as a “genuine beacon” – an expression that captures its enduring singularity. More than a historical reference, it reflects a broader political and cultural reading: Macau remains a place where different worlds intersect, and where memory, language, legal traditions and institutional experience retain tangible relevance.
At a time when Macau is seeking to assert itself within the Greater Bay Area and diversify its economic base, such recognition reinforces its external positioning. It is not simply a matter of acknowledging the past, but of recognising the territory’s contemporary role as a platform for dialogue and connection. The pioneering nature of the visit further strengthens this interpretation.
This dynamic reaches beyond Portugal–China relations. In parallel, Beijing has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with several European partners. The visit of Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to China last year, Aguiar-Branco’s trip last week, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s visit this week – coupled with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai’s upcoming mission to Portugal, Spain, Brussels, and Geneva – form a sequence that deserves to be read as a whole
Against this broader backdrop, the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya (April 23–30) acquire a significance that extends far beyond the sporting arena. Following successive postponements, the event’s return is not only the result of practical circumstances but has also been given renewed meaning in the current context. China and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) have taken advantage of a favourable moment to turn the Games into a showcase of stability, openness and organisational capacity. It is also the return of a continental event at a time when Hainan is being promoted as a platform for economic opening and international connectivity.
For Hainan, this is more than a sporting occasion. It is an opportunity to project its development model to the outside world. As a free trade port, the province is positioning itself in areas such as investment, services, innovation, and international cooperation.
Attention will then shift to the United States and the 2026 World Cup. From Sanya (Hainan’s second-largest city and the province’s primary resort city) to that global stage, a common thread emerges: in times of uncertainty, sport is increasingly used as a vehicle for projecting stability and confidence.
For Macau, this sequence holds particular relevance. As a point of connection between different systems, the region continues to play both a historical and a contemporary role. The recent visit of Aguiar-Branco serves as a reminder that this role retains practical significance.
It may therefore be worth revisiting Macau’s potential in the field of sports diplomacy. In 2002, the Portuguese national football team held a training camp in Macau and played a friendly match against China. That experience demonstrated the territory’s capacity to host high-level sporting exchanges, a potential that could once again be mobilised.
Recent developments suggest that changes in the international order rarely result from a single event. Rather, they emerge through a sequence of interconnected developments.
In this light, major sporting events are no longer simply occasions for competition or celebration. They have become markers of our age – one in which economics, politics, diplomacy and international image are increasingly intertwined.
* Independent sports analyst and consultant in regional development; former civil servant with international experience and long-standing dedication to public policy and sports development
