At Beijing business forum, Alckmin looks at the future while celebrating 50th anniversary of Brazil-China relations

Vice President of the Republic and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services (MDIC) Geraldo Alckmin opened the Brazil-China Business Seminar: the next 50 years on Wednesday (June 5) in Beijing. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of bilateral relations. Government representatives and entrepreneurs from both countries discussed the significance of the Brazil-China strategic partnership and examined business opportunities for the coming years.

Alckmin opened the event by recalling that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sees China as Brazil's strategic partner, while Wang Shouwen, China's vice-minister of Commerce, stated that his country considers Brazil a diplomatic priority. Representatives from both countries also perceive great potential in Brazilian state policies such as the New Industry Brazil (Nova Indústria Brasil - NIB) and the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC).

 "We are going to work even harder to improve our partnership, but I want to say to Brazilian businessmen and businesswomen in particular that we are together for the purpose of prosperity, to combat poverty, to create jobs and to promote development," affirmed Alckmin at the opening of the business forum. "I am sure that with the talent, public spirit and the entrepreneurial capacity of Brazilian and Chinese entrepreneurs, we will have the tools to achieve the common good."

The Vice President argued that, while Brazil's exports to China are still concentrated on commodities, it’s crucial to expand that roster with products and services with higher added value. He also said Brazil and China must explore how both economies can complement each other through trade and investment.

Also speaking at the event, the president of the China Council for International Investment Promotion, Ma Xiouhong, listed the digital and low carbon economy, biotechnology and green development as areas where the bilateral partnership  can grow. "I believe there are many points of synergy in our development strategies, so our two governments can foster growth by increasing our partnership," she said.

Brazilian Chief of Staff, Minister Rui Costa, presented the projects of the New PAC during the event. "We are celebrating 50 years of Brazil-China relations by taking the opportunity to publicize the New PAC. We are going to strengthen this partnership so that we can have more  investment from Chinese companies in Brazil, generating jobs and income," he said.

According to Brazilian Minister for Entrepreneurship, Micro-enterprise and Small Business, Márcio França, "the Brazil-China relationship over the last 50 years has been very positive, and the best is yet to come. As far as micro and small businesses are concerned, we have great potential for exporting Brazilian products. The market and technology in China will be great allies in this challenge."

"We came here to show how much Brazil is ready to receive investment and develop partnerships. That’s why it was so important for us to present the 5 South American Integration Routes at such an important event. These routes show how much closer we can bring our products to the Southeast Asian market," declared Brasil's Minister of Planning and Budget, Simone Tebet.

According to Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro, sustainability is one of Brazil's greatest assets. "Brazil’s sustainable production is growing by leaps and bounds. To keep that growth going, we have been working on the national program to recover degraded pastures, aiming to add another 40 million hectares of land with extremely high potential productivity without cutting down a single tree. This could allow our country to double food and energy production while preserving the environment. It is a great opportunity to provide food security and energy for the world," he stated.

A relationship intensified in recent decades

Although the 50-year mark in bilateral relations is significant, growth over the last two decades has been truly remarkable. Bilateral trade volumes surged from USD 6.6 billion in 2003 during President Lula's initial term, to an impressive USD 175 billion in 2023, coinciding with Lula's third term. Notably, Brazil's trade surplus with China, its primary export destination since 2009, reached USD 51.1 billion last year, representing over half of Brazil's total surplus of USD 98 billion in 2023.

Sustainable development and the G20

Sustainable development took center stage at the seminar, as highlighted in speeches by Chinese and Brazilian authorities. Social Development Minister Wellington Dias discussed the importance of bringing the social agenda into this meeting to reflect the genuine commitment of governments that prioritize the welfare of the people.

Dias said, “Economic growth coupled with social development is ingrained in the DNA of the G20 task force forming the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.” China's Vice-Minister of Commerce echoed this sentiment, expressing firm support for Brazil's endeavors, citing the G20, backing for multilateralism, and the BRICS trade and services network. He added, “Our collaboration is progressively advancing high-quality development.”

The business forum

The Brazil-China business seminar, titled "The Next 50 Years," brought together more than 400 business leaders from both nations. It was organized by ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Brazilian Vice-Presidency, the Chinese Council for International Investment Promotion (CCIIP) and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (Mofcom). This event received backing from the Brazil-China Business Council and the National Confederation of Industry (Confederação Nacional da Indústria - CNI).