China and Brazil should safeguard the shared interests of the Global South and jointly maintain the United Nations’ core role, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Brazilian counterpart on Friday, state news agency Xinhua said.
Over a telephone call with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Xi insisted that China and Brazil are stabilising forces in a turbulent world order. Both leaders have pledged to deepen bilateral ties.
BRI And Brazil
“China is willing to remain a good friend and partner to Latin American and Caribbean countries,” Xi told Lula, reiterating a long-time stance on regional ties.
China hopes to build a China-Latin America community with a shared future, he said.
Xi stated that a 2024 strategic partnership would align China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Brazil’s plans to boost farming and infrastructure. At a G20 meeting the same year, China revealed plans related to BRI and science and technology, aimed at supporting the Global South.
Sidelining China from Latin America
Brazil is reliant on China as its largest trading partner. Latin America saw a record year for exports, thanks to China’s demand for commodities, according to Bloomberg News. Xi hopes that China’s efforts to open up will create more opportunities for Brazil, and their partnership will serve as a model for cooperation in the Global South.
Brazil is a critical partner to China, especially amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce Chinese influence in Latin America. It has only been a few weeks since the U.S. executed a military raid to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and threw Caracas into political uncertainty. Its Latin American and Caribbean neighbours have been set on edge, worrying about similar interventions on their turf.
(with inputs from Reuters)
