Brazil's president Lula to visit China, signing of BRI likely

Kathmandu: Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is scheduled to visit China with the goal of fostering closer bilateral ties with the Asian nation.

Speaking on the eve of his visit to China, Lula announced on Monday that he would extend an invitation to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to visit Brazil.

'The President of Brazil is scheduled to meet Xi Jinping, the president of China,' The Global Times reported, 'Prior to flying to Beijing, where the Brazilian President will meet with his Chinese counterpart on Friday, he will arrive in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Lula had been slated for a four-day visit in late March, but his diagnosis of the flu and pneumonia postponed the visit. But after recovering from pneumonia, he will visit China from Tuesday to Friday, the report said.

During the four-day visit, Lula will seek to 'raise bilateral ties to a higher level with more comprehensive cooperation in not only traditional areas like trade and investment, but also fields like finance, anti-poverty, cooperation under the frame of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as joint mediation over the world-concerned Ukraine crisis'.

Brazil is one of the few countries that is yet to join the China-proposed BRI. While answering a question about whether the upcoming visit would see China and Brazil sign an agreement for BRI cooperation, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that 'the BRI is a completely open and transparent cooperation initiative. We are willing to work with all members of the international community, to jointly promote cooperation for construction of the Belt and Road, and to pay our efforts to promote joint development for all countries.'

Guo Cunhai, an expert in Latin American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday that 'If Lula's trip can make Brazil formally join the BRI, then it means there will be 22 Latin American countries formally in the China-proposed initiative, which has great significance to show that the initiative is greatly welcomed in the continent.'

If Brazil joins the initiative this time, it means that the BRI has effectively covered the major parts of South America, Guo said, 'This would be symbolic.'

During the visit, Lula will also hold talks with Xi on Ukraine war. The Brazilian leader has already suggested forming a group of nations to mediate peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

However, last year, Lula faced criticism for claiming that Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine shared equal blame for the conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, he has declined to deploy arms to Ukraine to aid in its defence alongside other Western countries.

Putin 'cannot keep Ukrainian territory,' Lula said on April 6. He also clearly stated that Zelenskyy 'cannot want everything; and proposed Kyiv should give up its claim to Crimea.