BEIJING - A senior Portuguese official said on Wednesday that his nation will expand scientific and research cooperation with China, noting that the two countries will jointly establish a research center on new materials.

Nuno Crato, Portugal's minister of education, higher education and science, said during his visit to China that the two sides will sign a pact on Thursday over the opening of the research center, which will sit in Zhejiang University in East China's city of Hangzhou.

The center is designed to promote the research and industrialization of new materials such as biological medical, eco-environment and nanometer materials in the two countries, Crato said.

Based on their respective advantages, the two sides will strive to smooth the process of turning lab research fruits into industrial mass production, he said.

Led by Crato, the Portuguese education and research delegation is visiting Chinese universities and research institutions from Monday to Friday.