Xi Jinping says China, Brazil are 'like-minded good friends'

China and Brazil are like-minded good friends, and good partners walking hand in hand, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while meeting with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin in Beijing on Friday. 

"With joint efforts in the past year, the two countries have continuously deepened strategic mutual trust, steadily advanced pragmatic cooperation, and closely coordinated on the international stage. This has not only promoted our respective development, but effectively safeguarded the common interests of all developing countries," Xi said. 

As two large developing countries and important emerging markets, China and Brazil share a wide range of common strategic interests, he noted.

The relationship between the two countries goes far beyond the bilateral context and is of exemplary significance to the promotion of solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, as well as to the promotion of peace and stability in the world, Xi said.

Xi said China is willing to consolidate cooperation in traditional areas and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as green economy, digital economy and innovation.

China will strengthen the strategic alignment between the Belt and Road cooperation and Brazil's re-industrialization, he said, adding that China is ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in fields such as legislative bodies, political parties, culture, education, tourism and youth.

China supports Brazil to play a greater role in the international arena, and is willing to communicate closely with parties of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), including Brazil, to promote the further development of China-LAC relations in the new era, he added.

For his part, Alckmin welcomed more Chinese enterprises to invest in Brazil and called for strengthening cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, minerals, new energy vehicles and addressing climate change.

He said Brazil and China are committed to defending multilateralism and free trade, share the same philosophy on many important issues, and have great potential and prospects for cooperation.

Brazil is willing to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as a new starting point, and work with China in close strategic coordination and elevate ties to a new height, he added.