Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's current state visit to China will add strategic significance to bilateral relations and promote China's cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday.
Lin Jian, the spokesman, made the statement at a press conference in Beijing when briefing on Lula's five-day state from Saturday to Wednesday at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Noting China and Brazil are both major developing countries, major emerging market countries, and important members of the BRICS and the Global South, Lin said the relationship between the two countries has always been a forerunner in the relations between China and fellow developing nations.
Xi went on a state visit to Brazil last year when the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. During that trip, the two heads of state jointly announced the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, and sought closer synergy between their development strategies, ushering in a new historical stage for bilateral relations, the spokesman recalled.
"President Lula is a leader of a major Latin American country with significant influence and a senior international statesman. This is President Lula's sixth visit to China, and is also the third one of the mutual visits by the heads of state of the two countries in two years. China believes that in the current turbulent international landscape, this visit is of great significance and will add strategic significance to the China-Brazil community with a shared future, and demonstrate the firm will and responsibility of China and Brazil to lead the Global South countries to strengthen unity and cooperation and promote regional and world stability and prosperity," he said.
"During the visit, President Lula will also attend the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum and other activities. China attaches great importance to Brazil's important role in Latin American and Caribbean affairs and is willing to work with Brazil for new progress in the building of a China-LAC community with a shared future," Lin said.
The fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum will be held in Beijing on Tuesday and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC Forum.
CELAC, launched in 2010, is an intergovernmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement, which includes all 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries in the region.
Brazilian president's China visit to add new strategic significance to bilateral relations: spokesman
