Lula’s State Visit to China: A Milestone in Brazil-China Relations
On March 26th, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil will pay a state visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. This visit highlights the strong and long-standing commercial and political relationship between the two countries, and the prospects for it to expand and become more strategic under Lula’s new administration.
China is Brazil’s top trading partner, with bilateral trade between the two countries reaching $152.8 billion in 2022.[0] In the past two decades, PRC-based companies have invested an estimated $70 billion in Brazil, which represents over 40 percent of PRC investments in the region.[1] It is clear that Brazil is of great importance to China, who surpassed the US as Brazil’s main trading partner in 2009 and the relationship has continued to grow in strength.[0]
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced that Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan will attend Lula’s inauguration and the Brazilian president will take an enormous delegation to Beijing, as he did during his first state visit to the PRC in 2004. Lula’s decision to visit Washington DC before traveling to China suggests that he still seeks to maintain good relations with the US while engaging with the PRC.[1]
The Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed the dates of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s trip to China. He will be in the Asian country between March 26 and 31, and it is believed that the visit will usher in a new era and a new future for China-Brazil relations.
This state visit to the PRC is an important milestone in the ongoing relationship between Brazil and China, and will have significant implications for the United States and the region. It is likely that the relationship between the two countries will expand significantly under the new Lula administration, with Lula making efforts to develop the political component of the relationship and even potentially including China in the international “mediating group” he is trying to form. This visit is sure to be one to watch.[2]
0. “Brazil's Lula to Visit China on 26 March | Sada Elbalad” See, 17 Mar. 2023, https://see.news/brazils-lula-to-visit-china-on-26-march
1. “The State of and Prospects for Brazil's Relations with China” Global Americans, 15 Mar. 2023, https://theglobalamericans.org/2023/03/the-state-of-and-prospects-for-brazils-relations-with-china/
2. “Brazilian president to visit China – Chinadaily.com.cn” China Daily, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202303/18/WS6414fdc9a31057c47ebb52e9.html
