Beijing (TDI): Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to begin a five-day visit to China today, ahead of a summit of Latin American leaders in the country next week.
Lula’s state visit comes at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and will last until Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced in a statement on Saturday.
Since returning to power in early 2023, the Brazilian President has sought to improve relations with both China and the US.
China is Brazil’s biggest trading partner. Its exports to China crossed the mark of $94 billion in 2024, according to the United Nations Comtrade Database.
Read More: China, Brazil Agree to Strengthen Partnership
Brazil sends mainly soybeans and other primary commodities to China, while Beijing sells telephones, vehicles, semiconductors and medicines to the South American country.
The two presidents are likely to attend next week’s gathering between China and the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
Read More: China-Brazil Trade Grows Nearly 10%
Two-thirds of Latin American nations have joined China’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, and Beijing has surpassed the US as the biggest trading partner of Brazil, Peru and Chile, among others.
