China’s ambassador to Brazil makes Belt and Road Initiative pitch, appealing to ‘higher level’ of ties

Beijing seeks to leverage signature global trading network to boost port services integration, e-commerce collaboration and digital trade, says envoy

Amid China’s first public overture inviting Brazil to partake in initiative, scepticism persists about benefits of membership

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is presented with the credentials of Zhu Qingqiao, China’s ambassador, in Brasilia in February. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:20am, 24 Oct 2023Updated: 9:59pm, 25 Oct 2023

China’s ambassador to Brazil on Monday publicly asked Brasilia to “soon join the Belt and Road Initiative family” and reiterated a pledge to bring bilateral ties to a “higher level” through its signature Beijing-centred trading network.

Speaking during an annual meeting of the China-Brazil Business Council in São Paulo, Zhu Qingqiao outlined several advantages for South America’s largest economy to become an official member of the global strategic initiative.

China sought to leverage belt and road programmes to foster port services integration, launch pilot zones for e-commerce collaboration and broaden market access for digital trade, the senior Chinese envoy said.

“In the next five years, [we aim] to build multilateral cooperation platforms with partner countries in energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster mitigation strategies, think tanks, media, culture and other areas,” Zhu told an audience mainly comprising Brazilian government officials and entrepreneurs from the two countries.

In anticipation of next year’s 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil, Zhu described the relationship as “resilient and meaningful”, calling it a strong foundation to tackle challenges and pursue mutual development. For this reason, he said, belt and road involvement should rank high on both countries’ agenda.