According to the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau Forum), ambassador Cai Run provided the figures during a campaign in Lisbon organised by the Hangzhou city authorities to promote the city as a tourist destination for the Portuguese.
The Ambassador also emphasised the enormous tourism potential between the two countries that has increased further since the launch of flights between Hangzhou and Lisbon, with a stop in Beijing.
According to the Hangzhou Daily newspaper, quoted by the Macau Forum, Lisbon has become a transit point between Latin America and China since the launch of the first China-Portugal direct flight in June 2017.