Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in China late on Saturday evening for a state visit as Beijing spoke out against “bullying” of Latin America and unilateral sanctions against countries in the region.
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After landing in Beijing, Lula said on social media that “we will be establishing new partnerships and signing cooperation agreements in multiple areas”.
“This is another major step in our friendly and strategically close relationship with China, Brazil’s largest trading partner since 2009,” he said of the five-day visit, during which a gathering of Latin American leaders will be held in Beijing.
China’s imports of Brazilian agriculture products, including soybeans, rose significantly in April. Beijing is expected to reduce its reliance on US imports amid an escalating trade war with US President Donald Trump.
The two countries are also in talks over a series of key infrastructure projects, including a railway project linking Brazil to a megaport in Chancay, Peru.
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China is seeking to improve ties with Latin American countries as it faces off against the US over trade. Top negotiators from the US and China are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland this weekend to discuss tariffs for the first time, but no breakthroughs are expected.
