Lula meets with Xi to boost bilateral ties

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was received on Friday in Beijing by his Chinese colleague, Xi Jinping, to discuss boost ties between two of the nations largest developing countries in the world.

The meeting came on the second day of Lula’s visit to China, Brazil’s most important trading partner and an ally in his bid to challenge Western-dominated economic institutions.

Lula was received with full military honors, including a 21-gun salute, at the Great Hall of the People adjacent to Tiananmen Square, in the heart of the Chinese capital.

Their talks largely focused on trade ties and other forms of cooperation, but also touched on the conflict in Ukraine. Both presidents agreed on the need for a negotiated agreement, according to the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

“As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share broad common interests,” Xi was quoted as saying by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. “China … sees the relationship as a high priority on its diplomatic agenda,” he added.

Subsequently, the two presidents witnessed the signing of agreements in areas ranging from agriculture to aeronautics. That underscored the improvement in relations since Lula took office in January following a tenure by right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro, who showed little interest in foreign travel and under whom relations with China were often strained.

The visit included the inauguration on Thursday of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff as head of the China-backed New Development Bank, which finances infrastructure projects in Brazil and other developing countries.

The financial institution presents itself as an alternative to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which often impose loan conditions that developing countries criticize as punitive.

China is Brazil’s largest export market, spending tens of billions of dollars each year on soybeans, beef, iron ore, poultry, pulp, sugarcane, cotton and oil. In addition, Brazil is the Latin American country with the most Chinese investment, according to Chinese state media, although Lula has been critical of Chinese companies having a direct participation in Brazilian companies.

Lula’s visit to China follows The president’s trips to Argentina and Uruguay in January, and the United States in February, in an indication of the importance he attaches to international affairs, unlike Bolsonaro.

A key piece of Lula’s strategy abroad is his proposal that Brazil and other developing countries, including China, broker peace in Ukraine. However, his proposal that Ukraine give up Crimea to facilitate peace has upset Kiev and its staunch supporters.

China has also tried to play a role in ending the conflict, albeit in a very close fashion to Moscow. He has refused to condemn the invasion, criticized economic sanctions on Russia and accused the United States and NATO of provoking the conflict.

Russia and China declared a “limitless” relationship in a joint statement in 2022, and Xi reiterated that closeness by meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin last month in Moscow.

Also on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Beijing will not sell weapons to either side in the Ukraine war, while the Defense Ministry said Minister Li Shangfu would visit Moscow next week to chat with his Russian counterpart.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagramm.