PresidentLuizInácioLuladaSilva"sstatevisit(March27-31)offersBrazilandChinatheopportunitytoreestablishthebilateralstrategicpartnershipandpoliticaldialogueatthehighestlevel,atamomentinwhichtheworldcancertainlyprofitfrombothnations"positiveinitiativesonawiderangeofissues.Fromtacklingextremepovertytofosteringthedevelopmentofcleanenergyresourcesinrecentyears,BrazilandChinahavebuiltatrackrecordofconstructivesolutionstothecontemporaryexistentialchallengesposedbyextremeinequalityandclimatechange.

UndertheleadershipofPresidentLula,whotookofficeonJan1,Brazilisbackontheglobalstage,afterfouryearsofabsence.AndrelaunchingthestrategicrelationshipwithChinaisatoppriority,asthesizeandhighleveloftheBraziliangovernmentandbusinessdelegationclearlydemonstrates.Over200businessmenhavejoinedthehigh-leveldelegationledbyPresidentLula,andwilltakepart,alongsidewiththeirChinesecounterparts,inaseminarscheduledforMarch29inBeijing,adayafterPresidentLulaandPresidentXiJinpingarescheduledtoholdtheirmeetingandpresideoveraceremonyduringwhichdocumentsinseveralareasofmutualinterestwillbesigned.

Cooperationbetweenourcountrieshasthrivedinrecentdecades,andthestrategicrelationshiphasplayedapositiveroleinbothcountries"socioeconomicdevelopment.However,successshouldnotbreedcomplacency.PresidentLula"sgoalinthisstatevisitisnotonlytostrengthenthetraditionalpillarsofourpartnership,butalsotoestablishnewones.Istronglybelievethatacloserdialoguebetweenournationscanhelpshape21st-centuryworldorderandtackleglobalchallengessuchastheenvironmentalcrisis.

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FactsandfiguresclearlydemonstratethediplomaticsuccessachievedbyBrazilandChina.Bilateraltradehasgrownexponentially.In2009–whenPresidentLulapaidhismostrecentstatevisittoBeijing–ChinabecameBrazil"smaintradingpartner.Sincethen,thebilateraltradeflowhasquadrupled,reaching$150billionin2022.Additionally,BrazilhasemergedasChina"smostreliableandimportantproviderintheagribusinesssector.Over20percentofChina"sagriculturalimportsnowcomefromBrazil"sworld-renownedproducers,helpingChinatoachieveitsfoodsecurityneeds.

Brazil"sopen,transparent,andnon-discriminatoryinvestmentframeworkhasallowedforanenormousinflowofChinesecapitaloverrecentyears.Infact,BrazilhasbeenoneofthemainrecipientsofChina"sinvestmentsworldwide,atestamenttothemutuallybeneficialnatureofoureconomicrelationship.ScientificcooperationbetweenBrazilandChinadatesbacktothe1980sandhasledtogroundbreakingprogramssuchastheChina-BrazilEarthResourcesSatellite(CBERS).SixCBERSsatelliteshavebeenlaunchedtodate,withanewonenowbeingplanned.ThesesatelliteshavebeeninstrumentalinmonitoringandcombatingdeforestationintheAmazonrainforest,forinstance.

BraziliscommittedtodeepeningitsdialoguewithChinaacrossallthosetraditionalareas,withaviewtofosteringamoreopenandintensebilateraleconomicexchange,awiderscientificandeducationalcooperation,moresignificanttourismflowsandcloserculturaltiesbetweenourpeoples.

Theimpressiveresultsachievedovertheyearsareencouraging,butsomeurgentglobalissuesrequireanewapproach.Climatechangeandbiodiversitylossposeexistentialthreatstoourplanet,andBrazilandChina—twogigantic,developing,andmegadiversecountries—haveacrucialroletoplayinconfrontingthosechallenges.AlthoughourcountrieshavebeencollaboratingonenvironmentalissuesinmultilateralforaandgroupssuchastheUNandtheBRICS,wedonothaveaspecificbilateraltooltoaddressenvironmentalcooperation.Tofillthisgap,BrazilandChinaareexploringtheestablishmentofabilateralmechanismexclusivelytodebateenvironmentalpoliciesandissues.AcloserSino-Braziliandialogueonkeytopicssuchasbiodiversityprotection,forestryinitiatives,emissionsandpollutioncontrolwillbenefitoursocietiesandtheworldatlarge.

Itshouldbeunderlinedthat,fromaneconomicpointofview,Brazil-Chinabilateralenvironmentalcooperationisalreadyunderway.ThereisasecondcleanenergyrevolutionhappeninginBrazil—thefirstonetookplacesomedecadesago,whenBrazilbuiltitshydropowerplants.Inthissecondwave,Chinesetechnologyandcapitalhavebeenplayingasignificantrole.Morethan45percentofChinesetotalinvestmentsinmycountrybetween2007and2021werechanneledtotheelectricitysector—andthoseresourceswereoverwhelminglyusedtofundthegrowthofrenewableenergyinBrazil.AccordingtotheInternationalRenewableEnergyAgency(IRENA),renewableenergyhasbeengrowinginBrazilatanaveragerateofalmost6percentperyearsince2012.

Brazil"swindpowergrowthrateranked3rdintheworldin2021(Chinawasthefirst,followedbytheUS).ElectricandhybridvehiclesarealsoboominginBrazil—thenumberofelectricvehiclessoldgrew41percentin2022—andonceagainChinesecompaniesareleadingthisprocess.Thisnewhigh-techindustrializationwaveinBrazilhelpstoreduceitsemissions,butalsohasasociallyinclusiveaspect.WindturbinesandsolarpanelsarerevitalizingtheeconomiesandbringingsocialinclusiontosomearidregionsintheNortheastofBrazil.

Buildinganewenvironmentalpillarinourdiplomaticagendawouldaddmomentumtothetech-intensiveandsustainableChineseinvestmentsinBrazil.ItwouldalsodefinitivelyengageBrazil"sandChina"spoliticalandacademicworldswiththemostpressingchallengeofthe21stcentury:howtotackletheenvironmentalcrisisfromtheperspectiveofdevelopingcountries.AsBrazilandChinaapproachthe50thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelationsin2024,ourcountriesshouldstrivetorevampourpartnership.Brazil,ChinaandtheworldwillhugelybenefitfromagreenerandmoreinclusiveSino-Brazilianpartnership.

TheauthorisBrazilianMinisterofForeignRelations.TheviewsdonotnecessarilyreflectthoseofChinaDaily.