A bridge between China and Brazil: Young Brazilian businessman adds brilliance to China-Brazil friendship

When Vitor Moura, a 31-year-old Brazilian entrepreneur living in China since 2016, finished his livestream of a G20 summit TV program in China, he could hardly believe that eight years of adventures in a different culture had turned him into an active bridge between Brazil and China.

It's a stark contrast from when he first arrived in China. Recalling his early challenges in the country, Moura said he couldn't speak the Chinese language when he first visited a small Chinese city in south China's Guangdong Province, greatly complicating business.

"We spent a lot of time with the supplier's team, but could barely communicate with each other," said Moura.

Eight years of sojourns in China have given Moura proficiency in Chinese, a company and an important role in connecting Chinese and Brazilian entrepreneurs. In addition, his current studies in China have helped him to understand China better while also allowing him to better explain the country to his fellow Brazilians.

"Living with 'the different' allows you to put long-held assumptions under scrutiny and come back with more solid answers on what is really important to you," said Moura.

Photo shows Vitor Moura as he gives a speech at a forum. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Building ties between Chinese and Brazilian partners

Moura came to China by the invitation of a Chinese client from the previous company he worked for in Brazil. He worked in a Brazilian trading company based in Shanghai, where he subsequently founded Lantau in 2019, a company centered on promoting the trade and export of Chinese and Brazilian products.

Moura was enthralled by China's manufacturing prowess, which enabled companies to offer a wide variety of products, providing the fulfillment of all market needs. This strength inspired Moura to remain in the country.

"China is the only country able to offer such a big variety of products. Its opportunity lies in the products and the flexibility of Chinese factories, combined with efficiency in logistics," said Moura.

The main work of Moura's company is to connect Brazilian companies with Chinese suppliers. By looking at online resources, and attending trade fairs, he managed to build up in-person connections with Chinese manufacturers and paid physical visits to their factories. He highly praises the reliability of Chinese partners.

"In general, (Chinese partners) can fulfill the needs and have quite flexible arrangements in terms of delivery," said Moura.

In terms of economic advantages in China, Moura stressed the government's support of economic activities, which allowed him to register his company with little difficulty.

China has maintained a vibrant economy that is open to the world. According to the Ministry of Commerce, by the end of June 2024, China has accommodated over 1.2 million foreign-invested enterprises. A total of 46,893 new foreign-invested firms were established across China in the first 10 months of 2024, an increase of 11.8 percent year on year. 

Furthermore, Moura noticed that understanding governmental policy changes, particularly in the areas and industries that China focuses on, can greatly benefit foreign entrepreneurs.

"When China focuses on one specific industry, there will be a lot of incentives in that field," said Moura.

Photo shows Vitor Moura as he participates in a seminar about the China-Brazil economy. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Bridging China-Brazil ties for a shared future

After consolidating his business, Moura also expanded his role as a go-between among Chinese and Brazilian businesses. He showed a strong commitment to helping his fellow Brazilian businessmen in a greater capacity by joining Bracham, an association of Brazilian companies in China, in 2018, and was elected to the board of directors in 2021.

"I dedicated a bigger portion of time to improving the business aspect of Brazil-China. Our main goal is to serve as a bridge between these entrepreneurs and Chinese authorities, and also between the Chinese market and other Brazilian business people that are still not operating in China, bringing awareness and increasing their knowledge about the country and its opportunities," said Moura, when talking about his experience in Bracham.

As G20 countries and members of BRICS, China and Brazil have seen the development of increasingly close economic ties. China has been Brazil's largest trading country and export destination for the past 15 consecutive years, and Brazil has long been China's top trading partner in Latin America.

Moura and his company have greatly assisted Brazilian companies in accessing the Chinese market and promoting the export of Chinese products back to Brazil. From January to October 2024, trade volumes between the two countries increased by 9.9 percent, hitting 1.14 trillion yuan ($158.33 billion), according to the General Administration of Customs. Brazil is also the first Latin American country to export more than $100 billion of goods to China.

Before and during the G20 summit held in November 2024, Moura participated in multiple TV programs in China. He has high expectations for the development of the China-Brazil relationship and said it was "an example of positive interaction between two widely different Global South nations". He also believes that the two countries will continue to work together through international platforms to overcome global common challenges.

"What makes me an optimist is seeing how our leaders relate to each other, and how we are bringing our peoples closer together," said Moura.

Currently, Moura is trying to convert his business success and practical experience into the academic world, which is the main reason he chose to study international relations at Tsinghua University.

"My studies at Tsinghua allow me to permeate my previous practical experience in this world with some academic knowledge, take a deeper dive into China itself, and better grasp the history and logic of Chinese actions on the world stage, which also helps me to explain how China works to other Brazilians in a more substantial way," said Moura.