Thata240-memberbusinessdelegationisaccompanyingBrazilianPresidentLuizInacioLuladaSilvaonhisupcomingstatevisittoChinasuggests2023willbeamilestoneyearinChina-Brazilrelations.TheyearisalsoimportantbecauseXiJinpingwasre-electedChina"spresidentandLulatookofficeonJan1,startinghisnewtermasBrazilianpresident.

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Lula"svisitwillpushtheChina-Brazilcomprehensivestrategicpartnershiptoahigherlevel,especiallybecausethetwocountrieshaveestablishedalong-termrelationshipandBrazilwasthefirstdevelopingcountrytoestablishastrategicpartnershipwithChina.

LulalaidasolidfoundationforstrengtheningbilateralrelationsduringhistwotermsasBrazil"spresidentfrom2003to2010.Infact,China-BrazilrelationsbecameamodelofSouth-Southcooperation.Lula"spresidencyalsosawagreatleapinbilateraltradeandinstitutionalizationofinter-governmentexchanges,withthetwosidesworkingtogethertoestablishBRICS(agroupingofBrazil,Russia,India,ChinaandSouthAfrica).

Theworld,includingmanylargedevelopingcountries,hasundergonedrasticchangesbecauseoffactorssuchastheCOVID-19pandemicandtheRussia-Ukraineconflict,whichhavealsohadhugeimpactsontheworldorder.

Assuch,thestrategicneedforastrongerChina-Brazilrelationshiphasincreased.PresidentXiattachedgreatimportancetothedevelopmentoftheChina-BrazilcomprehensivestrategicpartnershipinthecongratulatorymessagehesenttoLulaonhisinauguration.LularespondedbybringingalargebusinessdelegationwithhimonhisvisittoChina.

Economiccooperationbetweenthetwosideshasmadeconsiderableprogressinrecentyears,andbilateraltradeincreaseddespitethedevastatingimpactofthepandemicontheglobaleconomy.Forexample,bilateraltradeexceeded$100billionforthefirsttimein2020andreachedahistorichighof$171.49billionin2022.

Sino-Braziliancooperationhasexpandedfromtraditionalareassuchasagriculture,animalhusbandry,energyandinfrastructuretoemergingareassuchasinnovationsinthefieldofscienceandtechnology,thedigitaleconomyandthegreeneconomy.BrazilisChina"sbiggestexportdestination,importsourceandinvestmentdestinationinLatinAmerica.

Besides,BRICShasenteredthesecond"goldendecade"ofcooperationwithinfluencesbeyondthefivememberstates.BRICShasalsoplayedaconstructiveroleinthegrowthoftheglobaleconomy,andhelpedimprovetheglobalgovernancesystemandmakeinternationalrelationsmoredemocratic.

Bycashinginonnewopportunities,ChinaandBrazilcanfurtherdeepenbilateralcooperation.Thetwocountriesarelikelytocoordinatetheirdevelopmentpolicies,andcouldfacilitatecommondevelopmentthroughstableeffectivehead-of-statetalks,broadereconomicandtradecooperation,andincreasingpeople-to-peopleexchanges.

Moreover,byfulfillingtheirresponsibilitiestowardtheinternationalcommunity,thetwocountriescanpromoteclosermultilateralcooperation.Indeed,ChinaandBrazilshouldmakegreatercontributionstotheglobaleconomyandtheinternationalcommunity,asbothhavebenefitedfromeconomicglobalization.

Tothisend,PresidentXihasputforwardtheGlobalDevelopmentInitiative,theGlobalSecurityInitiative,andtheGlobalCivilizationInitiative.TheGDIcallsformakingmoreconcertedglobaleffortstoacceleratetheimplementationoftheUN2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment,andhighlightseightpriorityareasofglobalcooperation—povertyalleviation,foodsecurity,COVID-19medicinesandvaccines,developmentfinancing,fightingclimatechangeandpromotinggreendevelopment,strengtheningindustrialization,improvingthedigitaleconomy,andboostinginfrastructureconnectivity.AndtheGSIurgestheinternationalcommunitytomakemoreeffortstomaintainlastingpeacebysettlingdisputesthroughnegotiationandconsultation.AndtheGCIadvocatesnationstopromotein-depthinter-civilizationexchangesanddialoguetoadvancehumancivilizationsthroughinclusivenessandmutuallearning.

Theinitiativeswillhelpresolvedisagreementsbetweenandamongcountries,andpromotepeaceanddevelopment.Andbycarryingoutpracticalcooperationfortheimplementationofthetwoinitiatives,ChinaandBrazilcanmakebigcontributionstoglobalprosperityandstability,whichinturnwillbenefitthetwocountriesandtheirpeoples.

TheauthorisanassociateresearchfellowattheInstituteofLatinAmericanStudies,ChineseAcademyofSocialSciences.Theviewsdon"tnecessarilyrepresentthoseofChinaDaily.

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