Xi Jinping told Lula that China supports Brazil in defending its sovereignty and independence and opposes external interference in the country, during a telephone conversation lasting more than an hour held on Sunday night (26).
The declaration occurs in a context in which the United States government intensifies its interference in Brazil. Last Friday (24), Itamaraty denied visas to two US State Department officials who planned to question the integrity of the Brazilian electoral system before the first round in October, according to the Washington Post. On Saturday (25), Argentine president Javier Milei (one of Trump’s main allies in the region) attacked Lula and Federal Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes during the PL convention in São Paulo.
The Chinese president stated that Beijing “attachs great importance to Brazil’s international status and influence.” Xi also assessed that, in recent years, the articulation of the development strategies of the two countries “recorded positive advances” and injected “valuable stability into a turbulent international situation”.
Xi reiterated his willingness to “strengthen bilateral and multilateral strategic coordination” to maintain the positive momentum of building the community with a shared future.
Bilateral cooperation
The two presidents reiterated their commitment to expanding the partnership in artificial intelligence, satellites, processing of critical minerals and fertilizer trade, according to a statement from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lula highlighted that the government remains committed to diversifying markets and trading partners. The two leaders also agreed on the need to accelerate negotiations for a Mercosur-China agreement “that includes the necessary flexibilities”.
According to the Chinese side’s summary, Lula expressed interest in attracting more Chinese investment to the country. The president highlighted Xi’s vision of “open and inclusive” international AI cooperation and congratulated China on holding the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference.
The Brazil-China Cultural Year, an initiative underway in both countries this year, was mentioned by the two leaders as one of the factors that have been deepening the foundations of friendship between the peoples. The short-stay visa exemption agreement, also highlighted in both communiqués, should, according to the Brazilian government, “expand the flow of tourists and business opportunities.”
Middle East and Ukraine
Xi and Lula lamented the proliferation of conflicts and their effects on global food and energy security. Regarding the Middle East, they agreed that restrictions on free navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb “have harmful effects on the world economy” and expressed “deep concern” about the continuity of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, according to the Brazilian note.
As for Ukraine, the two presidents agreed that the Group of Friends of Peace can play a relevant role in resuming negotiations to end the conflict. Both criticized the United Nations Security Council’s inability to adequately respond to ongoing crises and noted that the next UN Secretary-General will face a “particularly challenging” international scenario.
BRICS and Global South
Xi asserted that China and Brazil, as important members of the Global South, must “stand firmly on the right side of history and civilizational progress” to play a more constructive role “in reforming and improving the global governance system and upholding international justice and equity.” The Chinese president advocated that the two countries work together for the high-quality development of “expanded BRICS cooperation”.
Lula stated, according to the Chinese side, that Brazil is willing to firmly defend multilateralism, which is opposed to the “politics of force” and insists on resolving sensitive issues on the international agenda through dialogue and consultation. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to maintaining close multilateral coordination at the UN, BRICS and other forums.
Continuous dialogue
This week’s phone call is the first between the two leaders since January of this year. In that conversation, Lula reaffirmed that Brazil and China are “important forces in the defense of multilateralism and adherence to free trade” and that the country is willing to work closely with China “to safeguard the authority of the United Nations, strengthen the cooperation of the BRICS countries and maintain regional and global peace and stability”, according to a statement from the Chinese government at the time.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
