President Lula is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday in Beijing. He first arrived in Shanghai with First Lady Rosangela "Janja" da Silva, and was greeted by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng.
This photo released by Brazilian President Lula shows him (right) being greeted by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng (left) after arriving in Shanghai on April 12. Photo: Brazilian President/AFP
"We will strengthen our relationship with China. I will invite Xi Jinping to Brazil for a bilateral meeting, to learn about the country and show him projects in which China would be interested in investing," Lula said on Monday evening.
President Lula, 77, had originally planned a late March trip to China, Brazil's largest trading partner, but postponed the trip after suffering health problems.
Lula’s schedule in Shanghai on Thursday includes attending the inauguration of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff as head of the BRICS development bank, an organization founded by leading emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Lula, who served as president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, has sought to improve relations with China since returning to the helm of the South American nation earlier this year. He is also seeking closer ties with the United States, Brazil’s second-largest trading partner after China itself.
His visit to China follows a high-level White House meeting with President Joe Biden in February. President Lula is keen to reassert Brazil’s international standing after four years of relative obscurity under former President Jair Bolsonaro.
President Lula and President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss a range of issues, including the Ukraine conflict, in which both hope to play a mediating role, given their good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
President Lula's delegation on this visit to China includes about 40 high-ranking officials, including ministers, governors and members of parliament . He will conclude his trip with a one-day official visit to the UAE next Saturday.
Hoang Anh (according to AFP, Xinhua)
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