Editor's note: Jose Carlos Martins, executive director for marketing, sales and strategy at Brazilian mining firm Vale, talks about the importance of business with China.

How would you characterize the relationship between Vale and China?

Vale has had a long relationship with China. We had our first exploratory visit back in the 1970s and we were immediately struck by the potential China had to offer. When we came back to Brazil we realized that Chinese growth would be the key to our own expansion at Vale.

Clearly we still had our own expanding market in Brazil, but what we saw in China was the opportunity to service a country with a growing population of over one billion, and this was too big an opportunity to overlook.

It was then we decided that China would be a strategic target market for Vale.

As we had been steadily building a solid relationship with China, we realized in the 1990s that the time had come to have a physical presence there.

Today, Vale has a large workforce in China working on multiple projects, enjoying a working relationship with the most specialized and trained personnel in the world.

However we no longer see China as just a market, or as a client, but as a partner.

What is the importance of Vale's presence in China?

It is important to note that we are the Brazilian company with the largest presence in China.

It is also fair to say that to a certain extent that Vale is the driving force behind the relationship between the two countries.

China has become Brazil's largest trading partner and Vale handles a huge amount of this trade.Due to this we have been fundamental in China's increasing interest in Brazil and its products.

Many other companies have seen how Vale has grown because of this relationship with China and they are also beginning to take a closer look at the Chinese market.

What would you say to those who see China's growth as an economic threat?

Many of these observers would say that their economies are suffering because of China's growth.

However the suffering currently endured by many traditional post-industrial economies has nothing to do with Chinese growth.

China has been growing by its own merits and they have been doing it very efficiently.

No one should blame China for growing and offering attractive alternatives to consumers. China is not the problem; it is part of the solution.

What lessons have you learned from doing business with China?

Just as in doing business anywhere, confidence, trust, and cultural understanding are key factors.

At Vale we have taken a long-term view with China and for this reason we employ very few expatriates. We prefer to invest and show our confidence by employing a largely local labor force.

I would also add that despite being very far apart, having different political systems and speaking different languages, we are actually very similar.

What does the name Vale represent in China?

Vale is very well known in China because our products of steel and iron ore are closely linked not only with Chinese growth, but also with Chinese tradition and history.

Vale has seen tremendous development in the last 10 years. Do you think there is room for further growth?

This is a very good time for Vale as we grow in partnership with China and I believe that its economy will continue to develop.

China has also triggered regional economic growth in Asia and as these economies continue to become more urban there will be an increasing need for the materials to build the infrastructure, which means there will be a greater need for iron ore, and this is excellent for Vale.

Companies like Vale and countries like Brazil share a tremendous responsibility to continue providing the necessary resources that countries like China require to continue developing.

On many levels Brazil and Vale have never been better positioned to take advantage of these demands and we have the capacity to efficiently and cost-effectively deliver products of the highest quality.

We will continue to benefit from China's growth and China will continue to benefit from our products.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/13/2011 page28)