Lula’s visit is a milestone in bilateral-relation history: Wang Yi

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Celso Amorim, chief special adviser to the president of Brazil in Beijing, China, April 13, 2023. /Chinese Foreign Ministry

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s visit to China is an important milestone in the history of China-Brazil relations, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said on Thursday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Celso Amorim, chief special adviser to the president of Brazil, in Beijing.

As the world is facing challenges unseen in a century, the upcoming strategic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Lula will have a worldwide impact and draw a new blueprint for the development of bilateral relations, the senior Chinese diplomat stressed.

China has always viewed and developed the bilateral relations between China and Brazil from a strategic perspective, Wang said.

Noting that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has broad prospects, Wang pointed out that “as the biggest developing countries in the eastern and western hemispheres,” China and Brazil follow the path of development in the light of their national condition and pursue an independent foreign policy, oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries and oppose unilateralism.

Noting this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said that China is willing to strengthen the strategic communication and deepen BRICS cooperation with Brazil, promote the expansion of BRICS countries, enhance the impact of the BRICS mechanism, and contribute to promoting the change of the global governance system.

For his part, Amorim said that as the world is facing global challenges like pandemic and climate change, developing countries must be more united and cooperative than ever before.

Noting that China is playing an increasingly important role in global affairs, in particular by recently promoting the Saudi-Iranian dialogue in Beijing, Amorim said China has made a contribution to world peace.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.