China, Brazil enhance strategic partnership

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in Beijing, capital of China, April 12, 2011. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

China and Brazil on Tuesday clinched a host of government agreements and economic deals in Beijing to enhance their strategic partnership as Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff paid her first state visit to China.

After two-hour-long talks in the Great Hall of People in Beijing, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Rousseff witnessed the signing ceremony of eight cooperative agreements in areas like defense, technology and sports.

The two countries also announced that they have inked 13 economic deals during Rousseff's visit, her first state visit to China since she took office in January, which include a purchase order for 35 Brazil's Embraer 190 commercial jets.

The two heads of state also signed a joint communique at the signing ceremony, highlighting their "broad consensus" on areas ranging from trade to global governance.

Rousseff hoped that "Brazil-China ties could see a qualitative leap" by advancing bilateral strategic partnership and promoting exchanges and cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, finance, technology, agriculture, infrastructure, mining and culture.

Closer trade and economic cooperation has been high on the agenda during the China visit by Rousseff, accompanied by a 300-strong business delegation.

"She is very pragmatic and farsighted," Chen Duqing, former Chinese ambassador to Brazil, told Xinhua.

China was Brazil's biggest trade partner in 2009, with bilateral trade exceeding 56 billion U.S. dollars in 2010. That year, China also became Brazil's largest investor.

Sun Yanfeng, an expert on Brazil at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said the Brazilian market is like an attractive big cake that is not easy for Chinese business people to digest.

Sun said difficulties mainly come from disparate cultures and law systems, as well as lack of Portugese-speaking Chinese employees.


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Source: Xinhua

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