The mid-April visit to China of newly inaugurated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) is an apparent triumph for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in its effort to broaden its influence in Latin America. The visit also seems to have served Lula’s legacy dream of being perceived as a moral beacon and advocate for the impoverished “Global South.”
Lula, now 76, is serving his third term as Brazil’s president, after barely defeating the pro-US and conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro. Lula has long been an advocate of a socialist model of economic development. He once expressed his respect for the CCP, on an earlier visit to China, “for having created this grand miracle.” According to Wang Yi , CCP Director of Foreign Affairs, Lula also expressed admiration for China’s having brought millions out of poverty and hunger.
Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled the significance of Lula’s visit by upgrading its bilateral relations with Brazil to a “Global Strategic Relationship,” as he urged Brazil to celebrate next year’s 50th anniversary of bilateral relations by increasing support for China’s “Belt and Road Initiative.” Xi also apparently persuaded Lula to support the use of China’s yuan to replace the dollar as the global standard currency.
Read more: Gatestone Institute
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