Presidents of China and Brazil hail ‘new phase’ in relations between two countries, which are major trading partners.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have inked dozens of trade and development deals, as the pair held talks in Brazil’s capital aimed at deepening ties between the two countries.
The leaders on Wednesday showcased their growing bilateral relationship by signing nearly 40 agreements on trade, technology and environmental protection.
“This is another historic moment in the development of China-Brazil relations,” said Xi, adding that China was ready to make the countries “golden partners”.
For his part, Lula said he was “confident” that the partnership “will exceed all expectations and pave the way for a new phase of bilateral relations”.
Xi’s visit to Brasilia comes after his attendance earlier this week at a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro as well as an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit last week in Lima, Peru.
Recebendo o presidente da China, Xi Jinping, no Palácio da Alvorada. 🇧🇷🇨🇳
📸 @ricardostuckertpic.twitter.com/R2xwDl8s9j
— Lula (@LulaOficial) November 20, 2024
The Chinese leader figured prominently at both meetings, in contrast with outgoing United States President Joe Biden, who is in the final weeks of his time in office ahead of the January inauguration of incoming US President Donald Trump.
China has been an increasingly important trade partner and investor in Latin America in recent years, while many observers expect the US government under Trump to erect additional trade and migration barriers that will affect the region.
A group portrait on the first day of the G20 summit highlighted the moment, with Xi front and centre next to the presidents of Brazil, India and South Africa – China’s partners in the BRICS group of major developing nations.
Biden missed that photo op for “logistical reasons”, the White House said.
Lula, who took office in early 2023 after the tumultuous tenure of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, has been seeking to reset Brazil’s relationships with its foreign allies.
Experts have said the Brazilian leader also is trying to “carve out … a distinctive role” for Brazil in global geopolitics by maintaining ties with Washington while also building relationships with the US’s rivals, including China and Russia.
On Wednesday, Lula welcomed Xi with full honours, greeting him on the red carpet as horse-mounted guards rode past, a military brass band played their two countries’ national anthems, and lines of children waved Chinese and Brazilian flags.
China is Brazil’s largest trading partner overall, with two-way commerce exceeding $160bn last year.
The South American country sends mainly soybeans and other primary commodities to China, which in turn sells Brazil semiconductors, telephones, vehicles and medicines.