China and Brazil share positive roles in peace and development, says leading Chinese newspaper.

Global Times — While expressing confidence in the solid and steady growth of China-Brazil relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need for China and Brazil to support each other in exploring their own paths to development and highlighted the positive role of both countries in promoting global peace, stability, and prosperity, as he met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday. Analysts hailed the meeting of the top leaders as offering clear guidance for the future development of ties and allowing the two countries to better engage in global governance.

On Friday, President Xi met with Lula in Beijing, during which he called him an old friend on more than one occasion and said he is ready to work with Lula from his strategic point of view to guide and create a new future for China-Brazil relations in the new era, and to provide greater benefits for both peoples.

President Xi noted that, as comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share broad common interests. China always views and develops relations with Brazil from a strategic and long-term perspective, and considers the relationship a high priority on its diplomatic agenda.

Xi expressed his confidence that a China-Brazil relationship that continues to enjoy solid and steady growth is bound to play an important and positive role in peace, stability, and prosperity in their regions and beyond.

President Lula said he felt honored and proud to lead a large delegation on his fourth visit to China. This is his first visit outside the Americas since being elected President last year. This choice reflects Brazil's affection for China and its commitment to Brazil-China relations.

China is an indispensable force in global politics, economics and trade, science and technology, and plays a vital role in promoting world peace and development. Brazil is committed to building closer relations with China from the strategic perspective of shaping a just and equitable international order, said Lula, expressing his full confidence that Brazil-China relations would embrace a brighter future.

"With this visit, Lula intends to send a clear and firm signal that China-Brazil relations under his presidency will reach new historical heights," said Pan Deng, executive director of the Center for Law of the Latin American and Caribbean Region at the China University of Political Science and Law, to [the publication/publication name]. Global Times on Friday.

The fact that Lula was able to overcome international and national opposition voices and his own health issues to make visits, as he just marked his 100th day in office, is revealing, said Pan Deng.

After Lula took office, the climate of political dialogue between China and Brazil changed, Zhou Zhiwei, a specialist in Latin American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told [the publication]. Global Times.

China-Brazil relations had seen "cold politics, but a hot economy" under the previous right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, while analysts predict that the two countries will embrace a "hot politics and economy" after President Lula's visit, as political trust has been greatly strengthened and the comprehensive strategic partnership has been enriched, the analysts said.

Following a meeting between the two top leaders on Friday, China and Brazil released a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Broader economic exchanges

Economic and trade cooperation was among the top items on Lula's agenda. During Friday's talks, the two leaders called for deeper bilateral cooperation, both in traditional and new areas.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents covering a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, the digital economy, and information and telecommunications.

Trade between China and Brazil will not only increase in volume but also expand in scope, especially as both countries work to boost economic recovery in the post-pandemic era, analysts said.

"Lula's visit to China greatly promoted the breadth and depth of bilateral trade and investment," said Wang Youming, director of the Institute for Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, to [publication name]. Global Times on Friday.

Wang noted that cooperation in traditional fields, such as minerals and agricultural products (soybeans, corn, and meat), will be further consolidated. In emerging fields, such as the digital economy, green economy, and high technology, the two sides will expand cooperation to create a scenario in which traditional and new trade go hand in hand.

During bilateral talks on Friday, Lula mentioned his visit to Huawei and said he was impressed with China's achievements in areas such as 5G, expressing hope for cooperation in relevant areas.

Wang said that China-Brazil cooperation in the field of science and technology, such as semiconductors, chips, 5G and satellites, is of great importance, particularly in combating US technological hegemony.

"In particular, Lula's visit to the Huawei research institute in Shanghai sent a strong signal to the outside world that Brazil will implement strategic independence and conduct in-depth scientific and technological cooperation with China. This move has a demonstrative effect, and more developing countries will follow Brazil's example in the future," said Wang.

The shared pursuit of peace

Zhou Zhiwei, speaking at CASS, noted that the greatest importance of the meeting between Xi and Lula lies in the communication between two large developing countries on regional and global issues and in the joint expression of their understanding of peaceful governance.

President Xi emphasized China's firm support for Latin American and Caribbean countries to cement the solid dynamic of peace, stability, and independence, and said that China will intensify strategic coordination with Brazil on global issues of mutual interest at the UN, BRICS, G20, and other multilateral institutions, and improve coordination in the climate response.

Xi and Lula also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, and both agreed that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way to resolve it. They called on more countries to play a constructive role in a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis.

Pan Deng said that it is easier for China and Brazil, both developing countries and the BRICS, to find common ground on the Ukraine crisis. With rich political experience, Lula has a deep understanding of the global situation. His own visit and its results show that Brazil is willing to join hands with China in safeguarding multilateralism.

Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira, former Brazilian Minister of Tourism and former Special Economic Advisor to the President of Brazil, said that instead of believing in a hegemonic world governed by one country, both China and Brazil believe in multilateralism and international relations based on equality. The two leaders of China and Brazil share a common vision regarding global development, which also promotes bilateral cooperation.

Lula's fruitful visit to China also attracted global attention, as their joint efforts inject a positive impulse into the world amid growing turbulence and instability.

There is a need for greater representation of the Global South in international institutions and platforms, including the IMF and the G20. The more Western countries boycott the voice of the South, the more institutions like BRICS and SCO will grow in influence and reach, he told [the publication]. Global Times Marco Fernandes, researcher at the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, co-editor of the Dongsheng Collective, and member of the No Cold War Campaign.

Timofei Bordachev, director of the Valdai Club program in Moscow, Russia, welcomed the cooperation between Brazil and China for having moved towards strengthening their own independence.

BRICS is becoming a pillar of democratic global governance and is attracting the attention of more countries. Bordachev told [the organization]. Global Times that "there is now a unique opportunity to create a global governance infrastructure that does not depend on a single decision-making center - it could become the basis of a new international order."