Lula receives leader of the Chinese Communist Party in Planalto

This Friday (22), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received Li Xi, member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Committee of the Communist Party of China, at a high-level meeting at Palácio do Planalto. . The meeting marked a significant step in bilateral relations between Brazil and China, two global economic giants.

During the conversation lasting around 1 and a half hours, Lula highlighted the strong relationship that his party maintains with the Chinese Communist Party. This meeting is part of a series of efforts by the two countries to strengthen ties after a period of distance during the previous government, led by Jair Bolsonaro.

Accompanying Li Xi were prominent ministers, including the Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, and the Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Márcio Macêdo, the special advisor, ambassador Celso Amorim, and the secretary general of Foreign Affairs, ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha. The presence of these members of the Brazilian government highlighted the importance of the meeting.

Lula’s invitation for Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Brazil in 2024 was reinforced during the meeting. In 2024, 50 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and China will be celebrated, in addition to 20 years of the creation of the Sino-Brazilian High Level Commission for Concertation and Cooperation (Cosban). Xi Jinping’s visit, if accepted, will be a milestone in these celebrations.

“Today I received Li Xi, a Chinese leader visiting our country, about the relationship between Brazil and China, as well as partnerships in infrastructure, energy generation and industrial investments,” declared Lula. “It is always a joy to be able to welcome a sister country. A country with which we maintain an extraordinary relationship, not only from a commercial point of view, but from a political point of view”, highlighted the former president.

The meeting also discussed the intensification of bilateral cooperation, with a focus on investments and technological development. At a time when Brazil is seeking to attract foreign investment to its new Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), Lula highlighted the opportunities that the country offers.

Planalto reported in a statement that the former president highlighted Embraer’s intention to establish a production unit in China, something that “should have the full support of the country’s government”. He also mentioned opportunities for Chinese investors in the launch of the PAC, especially in the areas of communications, infrastructure and the digital economy. Lula recalled examples of recent Chinese investments in Brazil, such as the installation of the BYD automaker in Bahia and the construction of the Salvador-Itaparica bridge.

Regarding multilateral issues, Lula and Li Xi agreed on the convergence of the two countries’ positions on topics such as sustainability, energy transition, combating inequality and poverty, and reform of global political and financial governance institutions. Lula highlighted the opportunities that the Brazilian presidency of the G20 and the expansion of the BRICS represent.

Priority agenda

Xi Jinping, president of China, has reduced his presence on international diplomatic agendas this year, not attending, for example, the United Nations General Assembly. However, he was present at the last BRICS summit meeting in August, in South Africa, and may visit Brazil twice in 2024, if he accepts Lula’s invitation and participates in the next meeting of BRICS heads of state, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), who presides over Cosban, received Li Xi and his delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (21). They discussed bilateral relations and opportunities to expand the commercial partnership, which has been Brazil’s main one since 2009.

Until July this year, the trade flow between Brazil and China reached US$88.46 billion, an increase of 0.3% compared to the same period in 2022. Brazil recorded a surplus of US$29 billion in this relationship , an increase of 34% compared to the previous year.

Party exchange

In addition to economic aspects, Li Xi’s visit to Brazil also included political agreements. On Wednesday (20), he and the national president of the Workers’ Party (PT), Gleisi Hoffmann, signed a cooperation agreement between the two party organizations. This agreement aims to strengthen bilateral relations, promote strategic communication and mutual political trust, and promote the sustainable development of relations between China and Brazil.

With this document, the parties seek to intensify high-level visits between them, hold an annual “Theoretical Seminar” and implement annual exchange and cooperation plans between them. This political partnership represents an important step towards a multipolar world and less asymmetric international relations, as highlighted by Gleisi Hoffmann.

Li Xi also highlighted that this exchange takes the relationship with the PT “to a new level”. This political approach is seen as a reflection of changes in international relations and the opportunities that arise on the global stage.

Li Xi’s visit to Brazil, marked by significant political and economic talks, demonstrates both countries’ desire to strengthen their relations and seize opportunities for collaboration in a variety of areas. President Xi Jinping’s possible visit in 2024 marks a crucial moment in relations between Brazil and China, with the celebration of important milestones and the opening of new opportunities for cooperation.