Brazilian President Lula embarks on China visit

Brasilia, April 12

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday where he is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and their discussions are expected to focus largely on trade, as well as the war in Ukraine, according to the media.

The 77-year-old had originally planned to travel to China last month but the trip was cancelled as Lula was hospitalised due to pneumonia, reports CNN.

On Monday, his office confirmed that the trip was back on, with Brazil's goal "to relaunch its relations with the country that has been its main trading partner since 2009".

The Brazilian delegation arriving in China with Lula includes businessmen, state governors, congressmen and ministers, who seek to sign over 20 bilateral agreements with China on agriculture, livestock, tech, travel and tourism, among others.

Government figures show that China imported the equivalent of over $89.7 billion in Brazilian products last year, and exported almost $60.7 billion to Brazil, setting the trade value between the two countries at $150.4 billion.

According to the Brazilian presidency, trade between the two countries has "increased 21 times since Lula's first visit to China in 2004".

Lula previously served two terms as Brazilian President, and has already made two official visits to the Asian giant.

Among the dozens of accords expected to be finalised during the visit is one regarding the joint Brazilian-Chinese construction of CBERS-6 satellites, a model that "has improved technology that allows for efficient monitoring of biomes such as the Amazon Rainforest even on cloudy days", CNN quoted a handout from the Brazilian government as saying.

While in China, Lula will also attend former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's inauguration in Shanghai as head of BRICS's New Development Bank, a commercial bloc formed by the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

After his visit to China, Lula is scheduled to go to the United Arab Emirates for a state visit as well.