Lula da Silva tells the Chinese vice president that he wants to increase bilateral relations

The Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvatold Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Monday that his government is willing to expand relations with the Asian giant, Brazil’s main trading partner despite a cooling of ties during the administration of Jair Bolsonaro.

“China is our biggest trading partner and we can further expand relations between our countries,” said the progressive leader on social media after a meeting with Wang, who on Sunday represented Chinese President Xi Jinping at the inauguration ceremony. from Lula.

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The leader and founder of the leftist Workers’ Party (PT), who on Sunday assumed the leadership of the State of Brazil For the third time, he said that through the vice president, he received a letter in which Xi also announced his willingness to expand cooperation between the two countries.

China displaced the United States almost a decade ago as Brazil’s main trading partner and in recent years has become one of the main sources of foreign direct investment in the country.

According to data released this Monday by the Government, Brazil In 2022, it obtained a record surplus in its trade balance of 62.31 billion dollars, thanks in part to the increase in trade with China.

The Asian giant was the largest destination for Brazilian exports last year, with sales of 91.26 billion dollars, and also the largest source of imports from the country, with purchases of 61.5 billion dollars.

Quite distantly, the European Union ranked as the second largest destination for Brazilian exports, with sales of 51,000 million dollars, and the United States as the second largest source of imports, with 51,310 million dollars.

Trade between the two countries has grown in recent years despite a cooling in relations during the Jair Bolsonaro government, which even insinuated that China had intentionally caused the covid-19 pandemic.

Even before taking office, the extreme rightist went so far as to say that he would not allow China, which he considered a communist country, to take over Brazilian companies or take advantage of his relations with Brazil.

On the contrary, Lula He said before assuming that his government will expand relations not only with Latin American and African countries but also with great powers such as China and the United States, with which, he affirmed, he will have pragmatic relations.

Wang was one of the foreign leaders who attended the inauguration of Lulawho dedicated the first day of the Government to strengthening foreign relations with a day of meetings with various delegations that were at his inauguration.

In addition to the Chinese vice president, Lula It has received, among others, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, and the Presidents of Argentina, Alberto Fernández; Bolivia, Luis Arce, and Colombia, Gustavo Petro.

Source: Elcomercio

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