China and Brazil pledge mutual support

Chinese President Xi Jinping took a phone call from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on July 27.

President Xi noted that in recent years, China and Brazil have made good progress in building a community with a shared future and synergising development strategies. This has played an important role in promoting respective national development and the wellbeing of the two peoples and provided much-needed stability for the turbulent world.

Xi stressed that facing new circumstances and new challenges, China and Brazil, as important members of the Global South, should firmly stand on the right side of history and the progress of human civilisation, and play a more constructive role in reforming and improving the global governance system and upholding international fairness and justice. The two sides should jointly advance the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, steer it in the right direction, maintain BRICS solidarity, produce more outcomes, and write a new chapter of uniting for strength within the Global South. China values Brazil’s international standing and important influence, supports its efforts in safeguarding sovereignty and independence, opposing external interference, and maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.

President Lula said that the building of a Brazil-China community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet has made sound progress, cooperation across various areas has enjoyed fast development, bilateral trade has reached a record high, and activities under the Brazil-China Year of Culture have solidified the foundation of popular support for friendship between the two countries.

Brazil is ready to step up multilateral coordination with China, uphold the authority of the UN, strengthen BRICS solidarity and cooperation, firmly safeguard multilateralism and oppose power politics, and stay committed to resolving hotspots through dialogue and consultation so as to jointly safeguard international fairness and justice and world peace and stability.

The call between the two heads of state was preceded by a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers on July 22. Wang Yi and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira met in the Philippines’ capital Manila in the margins of meetings convened by ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations.

Wang Yi noted that under the strategic guidance of the two presidents, China and Brazil have made positive progress in jointly building a community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet. The two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership has always been at the forefront of the world, and it is necessary for both sides to maintain strategic communication, strengthen strategic coordination and deepen strategic cooperation. Brazil is an emerging economy with global influence and a representative force of the Global South. China is pleased to see Brazil playing a greater role in international affairs and appreciates Brazil’s efforts in speaking up for justice and upholding fairness for developing countries. China will continue to support Brazil in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and believes that Brazil will, as always, respect and support China in upholding its core interests.

Mauro Vieira stated that Brazil looks forward to working with China to further deepen cooperation in such fields as finance and trade and to strengthen coordination on multilateral platforms including the United Nations and BRICS. Brazil is very pleased to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization initiated by China and looks forward to taking this as an opportunity to advance cooperation on scientific and technological innovation.

These diplomatic moves come against a backdrop of increased US pressure and threats against Brazil. Reporting on the foreign ministers’ meeting, the South China Morning Post noted that:

“Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Brazil that Beijing would continue to support its sovereignty, security, and development interests hours after a 25 per cent US tariff on Brazilian goods took effect.”

It added: “The US has imposed tariffs tied in part to the prosecution of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, and this month designated the First Capital Command and the Red Command as foreign terrorist organisations”, [which can provide a pretext for hostile acts on the part of the United States up to and including military intervention]…

“Brazilian Development, Industry and Trade Minister Marcio Elias Rosa said US officials argued during the talks [that preceded the US imposition of tariffs] that critical minerals exploration should be denied to entities that do not operate on market terms, a reference to Beijing.

“Rare earths and critical minerals ‘belong to the Brazilian people’, he said, adding that his team rejected the proposal.”

Then, on July 25, it was reported that Brazil had rejected visa applications from two US Department of State officials over concerns that their visit could support groups questioning Brazil’s electoral system.

Riley M. Barnes, assistant secretary from the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and Samuel Samson, deputy assistant secretary from the same bureau, had submitted their visa applications to the Brazilian government on July 20, planning to meet with far-right presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and other right-wing figures.

Brazil will hold the first round of its presidential election on October 4, with a potential runoff scheduled for October 25.

The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.