This issue of the International Journal for the Portuguese Language (RILP) is coordinated within the framework of the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Association of Portuguese Language Universities (AULP) and the holding of the 35th AULP Meeting, which will take place from 15 to 17 June 2026. The event will be jointly hosted by the University of Macau, the Macao Polytechnic University, and the Macao University of Tourism, under the theme “International University Collaboration: Strengthening Academic and Cultural Ties between the Greater Bay Area (China), Macau-Hengqin, and the Portuguese-Speaking Countries.”

Although situated within this commemorative context, the present volume of RILP focuses on analysing the growing projection of the People's Republic of China within the Portuguese-speaking world, exploring the political, economic, cultural, and strategic dimensions that shape these relations amid the transformations of the contemporary international order. In a context marked by the reconfiguration of multilateralism and the intensification of South–South cooperation dynamics, the Portuguese-speaking sphere has emerged as a privileged arena for dialogue, cooperation, and the negotiation of convergent and divergent interests between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of Macau as a strategic and multilingual platform for the articulation and mediation of these relations.