Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa in Lisbon, Portugal, on Dec. 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

LISBON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China and Portugal pledged Wednesday to jointly push forward the construction of the Belt and Road to strengthen Asia-Europe connectivity and boost global trade.

The consensus was reached during a meeting between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

The two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly advancing the construction of the Belt and Road after the meeting, which was witnessed by the two leaders.