BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged China and Brazil to become exemplars of unity and self-reliance for the Global South, describing the partnership’s peak as an opportunity to forge a fairer global order.
In a telephone discussion with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Xi praised the current state of bilateral ties, labelling them as “at their best in history” and noting promising synergy between their national development strategies.
Xi emphasized China’s support for Brazil’s sovereignty and its commitment to defending both nations’ legitimate interests. He urged all countries to stand firm against unilateralism and protectionism, signalling a subtle critique of mounting U.S. tariffs.
Highlighting the influence of multilateral frameworks, Xi described BRICS as a crucial platform for cultivating consensus across Global South nations. He also congratulated Brazil for successfully hosting the latest BRICS Summit.
Looking ahead, Xi called on China and Brazil to jointly address pressing global issues, such as ensuring the success of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, and supporting the “Friends of Peace” group’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
For his part, Lula affirmed Brazil’s desire to deepen its strategic alignment with China. He emphasized his country’s readiness to collaborate more closely within BRICS and the G20, pursue multilateral trade, and expand cooperation in sectors ranging from digital technologies to health, oil and gas, and satellite applications.
These remarks come amid escalating tit-for-tat trade tensions with the U.S., including steep tariffs on Brazilian goods, prompting Brazil to seek coordinated responses among BRICS members.
Sources: Xinhua (via gov.cn), Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Guardian
