Lula and BYD, Tim Cook and TikTok: Will diplomacy be the new limit to global corporate expansion?

Multinational corporations today face a veritable whirlwind of geopolitical challenges. From President Lula's passionate speech at the BYD factory, to Apple CEO Tim Cook's appearance in a live TikTok broadcast, to Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone's visit to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a common thread emerges: companies can no longer operate in isolation. The boundaries of traditional commercial competition are dissolving, and corporate diplomacy has become a crucial factor in determining the global success or failure of companies.

In a scenario of bilateral tensions and restrictions on global mobility, technology, price, and government authorizations are no longer enough to ensure operational legitimacy. It is necessary to go beyond the limits of trade and practice a new form of... "corporate public diplomacy"This diplomacy involves using corporate resources and cultural sensitivity—through sponsorships, community partnerships, and media engagement—to generate goodwill and shape positive perceptions in host countries, thereby protecting the identity and legitimacy of companies in complex political environments.

This article analyzes, through case studies, how global corporations can inject a "local soul" into their international operations.

Lula and the "Brazilian soul" of BYD

On October 9, 2025, President Lula da Silva visited the new BYD factory in Camaçari, Bahia, celebrating the launch of the company's 14 millionth electric vehicle and the opening of its largest plant outside of Asia. Lula presented the event as a "restoration of Camaçari's dignity" after Ford's chaotic departure. His speech resonated on social media from Brazil to China, transforming a Chinese giant into a symbol of foreign success with a Brazilian face.

Months earlier, BYD had faced allegations of poor working conditions at the construction site, leading to an investigation by labor authorities and project delays. In this adverse context, Lula employed a strategy of... "inculturation" — an old Jesuit tactic of cultural adaptation — to reconnect the company to Brazilian culture and values.

First, he linked BYD's success to the dignity of the worker: "Without the workers, none of this would be possible," he declared. Then, he gave the company's history a spiritual tone, relating his own impoverished childhood to the trajectory of Wang Chuanfu, BYD's founder, and citing the proverb "God writes straight with crooked lines," suggesting that leaving Ford was providential. Finally, he transformed the industrial narrative: the replacement of Ford by BYD came to symbolize sovereignty, jobs, and national pride.

Lula's speech also had a political dimension: on the eve of the 2026 elections, the president reinforced his industrial policy and the value of work, gaining political capital. For BYD, the event represented a milestone in... "cultural location" of Chinese companies. Under Lula's narrative, BYD ceased to be "just another foreign company" and became "the factory of the Brazilian people."

The impact was immediate: viral spread on social media, a shift in public opinion, and the symbolic transformation of a scandal into a case of industrial rebirth.

Tim Cook and TikTok: Corporate Diplomacy in the Chinese Ecosystem

While Chinese companies maintain a low profile, Western giants are showing themselves increasingly open to cultural integration. This week, the appearance of Tim Cook A live broadcast on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) became a global topic. The Apple CEO personally promoted the new... iPhone 17 and iPhone Air, attracting more than 100 simultaneous viewers.

The broadcast coincided with the launch of the new model and the authorization of eSIM use by Chinese operators, signaling a strategic moment for the brand. More than just marketing, the gesture reinforced Apple's integration into Chinese digital daily life — a movement that Cook has been cultivating for years with visits to cultural fairs, interaction with local creators, and partnerships with universities, such as the new environmental fund at Tsinghua University.

These actions form the core of modern corporate diplomacy: building cultural and institutional bridges...generate goodwill and consolidate social legitimacy. Cook's "corporate soft power" transforms consumption into an emotional connection—and this relationship, more than any treaty, eases tensions between the United States and China.

Sony: When the "American Dream" became a Japanese narrative.

No example illustrates corporate diplomacy better than the trajectory of Sony In the United States. From the TR-63 portable radio in 1957 to the PlayStation in 1995, the Japanese company has transformed products into cultural narratives. By controlling both hardware and content — with the acquisitions of CBSRecords and the Columbia Pictures — Sony gained influence over what millions of Americans saw and heard. Despite criticism of the "purchase of American culture by foreign capital," leaders such Akio Morita e Norio ohga They responded with frankness and sensitivity, presenting the mergers as a form of cultural exchange. 

Sony, therefore, became a symbol of modernity and cooperation. From radios to films, from games to music, the Japanese company integrated its identity into the daily life of the United States — a demonstration of silent diplomacyHowever, it is powerful, capable of shaping values ​​and aesthetics through consumption.

From multinationals to diplomats: the future of globalization.

When a foreign company builds factories, pays taxes, and employs local workers, it becomes a tangible link in international cooperation. These corporations function as physical interfaces of contemporary diplomacy, translating cultural differences and adjusting management practices to local realities. Today, the legitimacy It is the most valuable asset. Only companies that create genuine bonds — hiring locally, cultivating diversity, participating in public debates — can achieve stability in times of geopolitical tension.

Corporate diplomacy does not replace state diplomacy, but complements it. It takes place in factories, offices, and digital platforms, where daily dialogue between cultures, workers, and consumers builds a... interconnected multipolar worldmore cooperative and less fragmented.

This article was originally published by the Beijing Club for International Dialogue.