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China-Latin America relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Xi and Lula stress value of UN in call as US actions unsettle regional diplomacy

China reaffirms commitment to international law, negotiated diplomacy in region, while Brazil eases visa requirements for Chinese nationals

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Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Xi Jinping after a signing ceremony and a joint press conference, in Beijing in May, 2025. Photo: AFP
Igor Patrickin Rio de Janeiro
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call late on Thursday, during which both leaders stressed the need to defend the authority of the United Nations (UN) and to strengthen cooperation across the Global South, according to official readouts.
The call, confirmed by both governments on Friday, took place amid heightened geopolitical tension that has strained the multilateral system and produced new frictions in Latin America and beyond.

Officials in Brasilia said the two presidents spoke for about 45 minutes, beginning with an extended discussion on global governance and the state of international institutions, followed by visa and other issues.

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Chinese state media reported that Xi urged Lula to “help reinforce the UN system, protect the interests of emerging economies and resist actions that bypass the Security Council”.

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Lula’s office described the exchange in similar terms and said Brazil remains committed to international law, negotiated diplomacy and the principle of sovereign equality among states.

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