BRASILIA, June 15  -- Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Aloysio Nunes will be traveling to China to meet with authorities there over bilateral matters and take part in a meeting of ministers from the BRICS bloc of emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The June 16 to 20 trip will see Nunes meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday, and take part in the second Brazil-China Strategic Global Dialogue, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

"The strategic dialogue, one of the principal institutional mechanisms for coordination between the two countries, offers both a regular and direct opportunity to interchange ideas on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues," the ministry said.

Later, Nunes will meet with China's Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan, to discuss economic and trade matters of interest to both sides, as well as matters relating to the Sino-Brazilian High-Level Commission for Concertation and Cooperation.

The June 18 and 19 BRICS ministerial gathering is set to discuss current global affairs, as well as cooperation within the increasingly consolidated bloc and preparations for an upcoming summit to be held in September in Xiamen.

"BRICS contributes to perfecting and strengthening institutions of global governance in the field of politics and diplomacy, as well as in the area of economy, finance and trade. A player with global interests and concerns, Brazil gives great importance to political dialogue with its BRICS partners," said the ministry.

Since 2009, China has been Brazil's leading trade partner, with bilateral trade exchange amounting to 58.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, and is a key investor in the South American country.