China has no intention of competing for influence with any country and it will never do so, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.
Guo made the remarks in response to a media query that if Beijing welcomes the "chaos" the Trump administration has made in the recent time.
"China has always adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace. We engage in friendly exchanges with all nations on the basis of mutual respect and equality and remain committed to being a positive, stabilizing and constructive force. We have no intention of competing for influence with any country, nor would we ever do so. We always believe that, no matter how the world may evolve, upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter comply with the common interests of all countries of the international community," said Guo.
China has no intention of competing for influence: spokesman
China has no intention of competing for influence: spokesman
As Portugal's presidential race enters a runoff, voters are voicing frustration over housing, wages, healthcare, and education.
On Sunday, Portugal launched the first major election of Europe's 2026 political calendar. Voters on the streets of Lisbon were focused more on day-to-day issues.
"The issue I carry the most when I'm casting the vote is about our housing prices, because we are having a major crisis. Even for young people, it's really hard to buy our first house. And even renting, the prices in Lisbon are collapsing, even outside, even the outskirts are collapsing. And about our healthcare national system, because it's also collapsing. It's a very complicated issue. And I'm a teacher and when I cast my vote, I need to think about my profession and my future colleagues as well," said Maria.
"I'm concerned about things such as education in Portugal, the healthcare in Portugal, the wages which are pretty low compared to other countries in Europe. Basically for me those are the key points - education, health and wages. And right now, also the cost of living in Portugal is pretty high," said Juan.
Portugal's presidential election will proceed to a second round, with Antonio Jose Seguro leading the first round with 30.69 percent of the votes, according to data released by the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration.
Chega party leader Andre Ventura placed second with 26.97 percent of the vote, followed by Luis Marques Mendes of the center-right Social Democratic Party in third place, with 14.82 percent.
The move to a runoff marks the first time in 40 years that a Portuguese presidential election has required a runoff between the two leading candidates.
The runoff vote is scheduled for Feb. 8, with the winner to be determined by a simple majority.
Portuguese voters prioritize housing, wages, healthcare as presidential race heads to runoff
