Chinese President Xi Jinping recently replied to letters from friendly personages from all walks of life in Brazil, encouraging them to continuously contribute to the cause of China-Brazil friendship.

In his reply, Xi said that he is glad to see that the China-Brazil friendship has been passed on from generation to generation, adding that over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Brazil have marched forward hand in hand, sharing weal and woe, and have forged a friendship spanning mountains and oceans.

China is willing to work with Brazil to enrich the friendship between the two countries in the new era, make China-Brazil relations a good example of solidarity, coordination, common development, and mutual benefit among major developing countries, and make greater contributions to the cause of peace and progress for mankind, Xi said.

He said Brazilian friends are welcome to visit China more often and experience for themselves the myriad sights of Chinese modernization.

Xi voiced the hope that people from all walks of life in both countries will play a positive role in promoting the continuous development of China-Brazil relations and making the China-Brazil friendship flow unceasingly like the Yangtze River and the Amazon River.

Recently, Enrique Teixeira, former deputy mayor of Campinas, Sao Paulo State, and more than 100 friendly personages from the Brazil-China Friendship Association, Sao Paulo University, Sao Paulo State University, and the Copacabana Fort Orchestra in Rio de Janeiro wrote to Xi respectively, thanking the Chinese government, enterprises, and universities for their contributions to China-Brazil friendly exchanges and the improvement of local people's livelihoods.

The year 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. Over five decades, the two nations have deepened and diversified cooperation in trade, climate change, education, culture, and technological innovation, while building strong political mutual trust that benefits both nations.

Since 2009, China has been Brazil's largest trading partner and a key investor, while Brazil is the first Latin American country to export over $100 billion to China, making it China's top regional trading partner.

According to Zhu Qingqiao, the Chinese Ambassador to Brazil, China's investments in Brazil exceed $70 billion, spanning energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and technology. Currently, as China undertakes comprehensive reforms to advance Chinese modernization and the Brazilian government has also introduced a series of national development strategies, the two countries are accelerating the alignment of their development strategies to expand traditional collaborations and explore new areas like energy transition, digital economy, biotechnology, and aerospace.

Last month, the China-Brazil Forum on Marine Science and Technology Innovation was held in Beijing. The forum brought together leading experts and scholars from both countries in the energy sector to explore cutting-edge technologies and practical experiences in marine science, aiming to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in marine science and accelerate innovation in this field.

Cultural exchanges have also flourished between China and Brazil. For example, Recife, a city in Brazil, declared 2024 as "the Year of China," while the Beijing International Film Festival invited Brazil as the guest of honor and hosted a Brazilian Film Week.

Moreover, starting February 19 this year, China and Brazil began issuing 10-year multiple-entry visas to each other's citizens for purposes such as business, tourism, and family visits, with a maximum stay of 90 days per visit, which is expected to greatly increase the number of Chinese travelers visiting Brazil.

"Cultural exchanges lay a solid foundation for public goodwill in bilateral relations between China and Brazil," said Cao Ting, Deputy Director of the Research Office for Latin American Studies at Fudan University.

He analyzed that the robust growth of cultural exchanges between the two nations has been driven by strengthened high-level political mutual trust, a strong desire among both peoples to enhance communication, and the convenience provided by faster international flights and improved digital connectivity.

(With input from Xinhua)