Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brasilia this morning with trumpets, military honors, Brazilian children singing Chinese song, for a state visit celebrating the 50th anniversary of relations between the two countries. The benefits reaped by both countries over the last 50 years have benefitted the world, Lula da Silva stated, and now we are making plans for the next 50 years.
Speaking to the press after their meetings, the Presidents announced that Brazil and China have decided to raise their existing “comprehensive strategic partnership” to that of a “Community for a Shared Future for a More Just World and a Sustainable World.” As responsible, major developing countries, they will work together to fight hunger and poverty and overcome geopolitical conflicts in order to restore the peace needed for the development of the Global South and the establishment of a more just world order. Both pointed to the “Six Common Understandings” for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which Brazil and China issued on May 23, 2024, as exemplary of their joint efforts. As Lula put it, “what China and Brazil do together reverberates around the world.… In a world ravaged by armed conflict and geopolitical tensions, China and Brazil put peace, diplomacy and dialogue first.”
Xi called their meeting “very productive,” terming their relations the best ever. Our relations set an example for how major developing countries can work hand-in-hand together, in today’s times which are not tranquil, and in which there are no simple answers, he said. Lula noted that this state visit “renews the pioneering spirit” of their 50-year relationship, based on the “shared interests and close worldviews” between their nations. He expressed particular happiness that China was the first nation to support, strongly, his proposed Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. (Xi’s poverty alleviation initiative in China has raised more than 800 million people out of poverty.)
