Xiplomacy: China and Brazil - friends oceans away

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visits an exhibition hall on the latest development in digital technology and digital economy at the Shanghai Research Center of Huawei in Shanghai, east China, April 13, 2023. [Xinhua/Gao Feng]

Stressing that China always sees its relationship with Brazil as a high priority on its diplomatic agenda, Xi said Friday that "China welcomes more high-quality products from Brazil into its market. China will actively explore greater synergy between its Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's reindustrialization strategy."

The two countries have also jointly played an important role in today's turbulent world, communicating and coordinating closely within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, BRICS and the Group of 20.

Facing global changes of a magnitude unseen in a century, China and Brazil are resolved to practice true multilateralism, advocate the common values of humanity, work for a more just and equitable international governance system, truly safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international justice and equity, and build a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said Friday.

Lula said Brazil stands ready to work with China to contribute to developing countries' efforts to shake off unfair rules and realize a fairer and more balanced development.

"New record in trade"

Moored at the Port of Acu in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Chinese supertanker YUAN PENG YANG quietly awaits its departure for Asia once it is fully loaded with containers of Brazilian crude oil.

Vinicius Patel, director of the Port Administration, told Xinhua that exporting crude oil and iron ore to China has been one of the core businesses of the port since its operation in 2014.

"We signed new contracts with Chinese companies last year. Our exports to China have hit a new record," Patel said.

The buzz of the port is a stellar example of the booming trade between China and Brazil. "When I first visited Beijing, few analysts imagined that the Sino-Brazilian partnership would acquire the relevance it has today. Since then, our trade has multiplied 16-fold and China has become Brazil's main trading partner," Lula said in a written interview with Xinhua shortly before departing for his state visit to China.

"The value of our exports to China is greater than the sum of our exports to the United States and the European Union," he said, "China is a great engine for the Brazilian agro-industry."

China has been Brazil's biggest trade partner for 14 consecutive years, and Brazil is the first Latin American country to hit a trading volume of over 100 billion U.S. dollars with China.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at the inauguration ceremony of the new president of the New Development Bank (NDB), Dilma Rousseff, former Brazilian President, at the bank's headquarters in Pudong, Shanghai, east China, April 13, 2023. [Xinhua/Gao Feng]

On Sept. 19, 2022, Recife okayed a decree proposed by Pedrosa to establish the Chinese New Year as an official holiday in the city. In early February this year, the city of Foz do Iguacu in southern Brazil also decided to make the Chinese New Year celebration an annual event.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have been flourishing over the years, for example, in sports, medicine and the arts. Fourteen Confucius Institutes have been established in Brazil, the most among Latin American countries, and Brazil has set up a national festival to celebrate every August the arrival of Chinese immigrants to Brazil.

In February 2021, the first Chinese school in Brazil opened in Rio de Janeiro. Two years later, the two countries launched virtual courses for teaching Chinese language and culture to beginners.

China and Brazil need to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year to carry out more people-to-people exchanges, and cultivate stronger public support for Sino-Brazilian friendship, Xi said Friday.

Similarly, Lula said he has full confidence that Brazil-China relations will embrace a brighter future.