This special issue of JANUS.NET, e‑journal of International Relations, comes to light at a moment of profound disruption in the international rules‑based order, marked by heightened geopolitical fragmentation, strategic rivalry, and the reconfiguration of global power structures. Against this setting, the study of Sino‑Portuguese relations constitutes not only a timely empirical focus but also a valuable academic opportunity to reassess how medium and small states navigate uncertainty, complexity, and systemic transformation within the international system.