Brazilian President Lula’s China trip sends hopes soaring on either side

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s visit forecast to take political and economic ties to a new high as Brazil seeks a reset after Bolsonaro years

China will be rolling out the red carpet as it needs Brazil’s Latin American heft to counter the US-led West, observers say

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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a third-time president of Brazil, is a leftist who has been close to China. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:22pm, 12 Apr 2023Updated: 4:57am, 13 Apr 2023

Expectations are running high on either side ahead of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s arrival in China, as Beijing pushes to expand its coalition of partners to counter the US and Brasilia hopes to reset ties strained under the previous far-right administration.

Lula was due to arrive in Shanghai on Wednesday before travelling to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

Observers expect his four-day trip to raise bilateral political and economic ties to a new high, and also test the two countries’ ability to tackle global challenges, such as the war in Ukraine.

Hailed by Beijing as an “old friend of the Chinese people”, Lula – who has been seeking closer ties with both China and the United States – could even help bridge differences between the rival powers, according to Chinese analysts.

“We’re going to consolidate our relationship with China. I’m going to invite Xi Jinping to come to Brazil for a bilateral meeting, to get to know the country and to show him projects that will be of interest for Chinese investment,” Lula said ahead of his trip to China on Monday.

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