Brazilian data partnership with China draws criticism from former officials
‘China is not a model for statistical openness,’ says Martha Mayer, ex-research director at Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
A new partnership between Brazil’s national statistics agency and China’s data bureau is drawing sharp criticism from former Brazilian officials and researchers who warn that the move could undermine the agency’s credibility and commitment to transparency.
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) confirmed on Thursday that it is deepening cooperation with China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), following a visit by IBGE leadership to Beijing last week.
The trip marked the implementation of a 2024 agreement and included new deals with Chinese academic institutions as well.
As China has become the world’s second-largest economy, the reliability of its data has become increasingly important beyond its shores.
Yet economists and policymakers outside the country have had long-standing concerns over China’s record of limiting access to sensitive data and whether its statistics are politicised.
US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks in 2010 disclosed that Li Keqiang – then China’s vice-premier and later its premier – had privately admitted that China’s official GDP figures were “man-made” and “unreliable”.
Li reportedly said he relied instead on electricity use, rail cargo volume and loan disbursements to gauge economic performance, which Western economists subsequently dubbed the Li Keqiang index.