Visit further strengthens Sino-Brazilian comprehensive strategic partnership: China Daily editorial

As the largest developing countries and important emerging market economies in their respective regions, China and Brazil have over the years pursued a relationship grounded in a shared vision of mutual development, viewing each other's progress as an opportunity for their own growth.

As President Xi Jinping said in a signed article published in Brazilian media outlet Folha de S. Paulo on Sunday, ahead of his state visit to the country, the practical cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results, witnessed flourishing people-to-people and cultural exchanges and become increasingly mature and vibrant since they established diplomatic relations 50 years ago.

This year, bilateral trade has sustained a strong growth momentum, soaring 9.9 percent in the first 10 months from the same period last year, a rate which was 4.7 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of China's foreign trade.

China has remained Brazil's largest trading partner and export destination for the past 15 consecutive years, while Brazil has long been China's top trading partner in Latin America. Statistics show the trade volume between China and Brazil reached $181.53 billion in 2023, with Brazil becoming the first Latin American country to surpass $100 billion in exports to China.

Obviously, Beijing and Brasilia have everything to gain by boosting the energy and vitality of this rosy picture. With their economies highly complementary and their interests deeply intertwined, further synergizing their development strategies and fostering new growth drivers for bilateral cooperation has bright prospects.

Against the backdrop of the rapidly changing international landscape, China-Brazil relations would not have withstood the test of the times if the two countries, tens of thousands of miles apart, did not share the same view on the benefits of cooperation.

The all-round strategic cooperation between China and Brazil not only serves the long-term and fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also sets a good example for the solidarity and coordination of countries in the Global South. In fact, China-Brazil ties, featuring mutual respect, equality, and win-win cooperation, have become one of the most important partnerships within the Global South. With trade protectionism and power politics raising their ugly heads and causing setbacks to globalization and international cooperation, China and Brazil have set a good example for developing countries to develop win-win cooperation and pursue a shared future.

The dynamic relationship between China and Brazil has not only boosted their respective development but also contributed significantly to world peace and stability. They have jointly amplified the voice of the Global South in the international arena and made important contributions to addressing global challenges and conflicts through upholding the spirit of multilateralism and advocating for an equal and orderly multipolar world. In particular, their joint six-point consensus on the Ukraine crisis has gained recognition from a growing number of countries.

In a rapidly changing world, China and Brazil are strengthening strategic cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, G20, BRICS, and the World Trade Organization to safeguard the interests of emerging markets and advance global governance.

The foundation for the two countries' productive friendship has been their mutual respect and political trust. Brazil was the first country to establish a strategic partnership with China. It was also the first nation in Latin America to enter into a comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

President Xi's ongoing visit to Brazil is set to further deepen the two countries' strategic mutual trust, and promote the synergy between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's development strategies and raise their all-round strategic cooperation to an even higher level.

Standing at an important historical juncture of building on past achievements and forging ahead, China and Brazil together can pave the way for a new "golden 50 years" of friendship and reciprocal cooperation, and join hands to help build a community with a shared future.