Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has used his visit to push the message that "Brazil is back" as a key player on the global stage -- and to warn others that the South American country's deepening relations with China are non-negotiable.
Xi told Lula that China viewed relations between the two countries as a diplomatic high priority, a readout from China's foreign ministry said. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands after a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 14, 2023. Lula is carrying out a delicate balancing act as he also seeks closer ties with Washington -- his visit with Xi comes after a high-profile White House meeting with US President Joe Biden in February.
"As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Brazil share extensive common interests," Xi said, according to the ministry readout. His government recently announced a deal with Beijing to trade in their own currencies, ditching the dollar."Who decided the dollar would be the currency?" Lula said in Shanghai at a ceremony to inaugurate his political ally Dilma Rousseff as president of the development bank set up by the BRICS nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
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