50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Brazil: Let the Voice of the Global South for Win-Win Cooperation Be Louder
2024-08-16
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Author: Bu Shaohua (Deputy Director and Associate Researcher of the Institute of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, China Institute of International Studies)
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. Over the past 50 years, the two countries have moved toward each other and continuously deepened all-round cooperation in various fields. After half a century of ups and downs, China-Brazil relations have become more mature and resilient, and continue to show vigorous vitality. It can be said that China-Brazil relations have become a banner of China-Latin America and even South-South cooperation.
Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is world-famous for its urban planning and urban architecture. The picture shows several bicycle enthusiasts taking photos on the central axis of Brasilia on July 14. Xinhua News Agency
China-Pakistan cooperation enters the fast lane
In 2012, China-Pakistan relations opened a new chapter in history. That year, the two countries upgraded their bilateral relations from the strategic partnership established in 1993 to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The cooperation between the two sides entered the fast lane, and its overall, strategic and global impact was further highlighted. After more than ten years of development, China-Pakistan cooperation has achieved fruitful results.
First, political mutual trust has been continuously strengthened. President Xi Jinping successfully visited Brazil in 2014 and 2019 respectively, and Brazilian President Lula has also visited China many times. The two sides have always firmly supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests. Mechanisms such as the China-Brazil High-Level Coordination and Cooperation Committee and the Foreign Ministerial Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue are operating stably, and the theoretical seminars of the Communist Party of China and the Brazilian Workers' Party have been held for seven sessions. During the COVID-19 epidemic, China provided Brazil with a large amount of selfless assistance, including vaccines, to help Brazil overcome difficulties. Both sides attach great importance to the docking of development strategies, and the docking of China's "Belt and Road" initiative with Brazil's "re-industrialization" and "South American integration route" initiatives has been continuously deepened. Recently, President Lula also revealed that Brazil is actively discussing joining the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and looks forward to establishing a new type of strategic partnership with China.
Second, practical economic and trade cooperation is accelerating and deepening. In the field of trade, as of 2023, the bilateral trade volume between China and Brazil has exceeded US$100 billion for six consecutive years. China has not only been Brazil's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, but also Brazil's first trading partner with exports exceeding US$100 billion. China also actively supports Brazil's green transformation of agriculture. The first batch of "zero deforestation" soybeans imported by Chinese companies from Brazil has recently arrived in China. In the field of investment and engineering contracting, Chinese new energy vehicle companies such as BYD have increased their investment in Brazil in recent years to help Brazil's new energy market flourish. Chinese companies have also successively undertaken multiple phases of ultra-high voltage transmission projects in Brazil to help Brazil improve its power infrastructure. In the field of financial cooperation, the two countries have tried to conduct local currency swap cooperation, create a capacity cooperation fund, and establish RMB clearing arrangements to promote local currency settlement of trade.
Third, people-to-people exchanges continue to expand. In recent years, China and Brazil have jointly held a number of large-scale cultural events, such as the Forum on Exchange and Mutual Learning of Civilizations and the Chinese Culture Festival. In terms of Chinese education, 12 Confucius Institutes have been established in Brazil. In April this year, the resumption of the Beijing-Sao Paulo route has built another bridge for the two countries to deepen people-to-people exchanges.
On June 3, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the "Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Brazil - China-Brazil Music Tour in Northeast Brazil (Natal)" concert at the Alberto Maranhão Theater in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Xinhua News Agency
Demonstrating the influence of the “Global South”
The collective rise of the "Global South" has become a prominent feature and a powerful driving force for the profound evolution of the current international system. The countries of the "Global South" are gradually growing into a key force in international politics, with their collective sense of identity constantly increasing, and their international voice and influence also significantly improving.
As natural members of the "Global South" camp, China and Brazil have similar positions and propositions on a series of important international issues. For example, both sides attach importance to maintaining international law based on and centered on the UN Charter, agree to strengthen the core role of the United Nations in the international system, and both advocate that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way to resolve international hot issues. Both sides are committed to promoting the democratization of international relations and advocate the key role of international organizations and multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Group of Twenty, and the BRICS in maintaining multilateralism, opposing hegemony, and improving global governance. Both sides support the integration process in Latin America and attach importance to the role of regional and sub-regional organizations such as the Community of Latin American and Southern Common Market.
China-Brazil relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic significance and global influence. The two countries have always taken deepening South-South cooperation and promoting the construction of a new international political and economic order as the starting point for planning cooperation. In 2000, China and Brazil signed a bilateral agreement on China's accession to the WTO. Brazil formally supported China's accession to the organization and sought to work with China to promote the evolution of the international economic order in a direction that is more favorable to developing countries. In 2006, China and Brazil formally participated in the establishment of the BRICS cooperation mechanism as founding members, laying a solid institutional foundation for the rise of the "global South" in recent years. In 2009, before the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change Negotiations of the United Nations, China, Brazil, South Africa and India jointly formed the "Basic Four" mechanism to coordinate positions on climate change issues and jointly safeguard the interests of developing countries.
Entering the new era, the strategic connotation of China-Pakistan relations has been further enhanced, and the two sides have become more conscious and proactive in coordinating and cooperating under the framework of the "Global South". In 2014, during his visit to Pakistan, President Xi Jinping and leaders of Latin American countries jointly announced the establishment of the China-Latin America Forum, formally building a framework for overall cooperation between China and Latin America, and providing a new cooperation platform for deepening South-South cooperation. In 2023, China and Pakistan strengthened communication and coordination and jointly promoted the BRICS mechanism to make a decision to expand. In January this year, the "BRICS Five" was officially expanded to the "BRICS Ten", and the unity and cooperation of the "Global South" camp was further deepened. In May, China and Pakistan reached a "six-point consensus" on promoting a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis, and issued a loud "Southern voice" in resolving international hotspot conflicts, which was supported by more than 100 countries.
Work together to push China-Pakistan relations to a new level
Half a century of cooperation has fully proved that the China-Pakistan comprehensive strategic partnership has great potential. At present, the world is moving towards equal and orderly multi-polarization and inclusive globalization, and China-Pakistan cooperation will usher in the best period. The two countries should focus on the next 50 years, work together to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, and keep China-Pakistan relations at the forefront of the times.
First, we need to consolidate strategic mutual trust. The two sides should take the strategic blueprint of the heads of state as a guide, actively implement important consensus, and continue to support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. We should give full play to the overall coordination role of the standing mechanism such as the High-level Committee, continuously expand the connotation of the comprehensive strategic partnership, strengthen cooperation in the fields of modernization, governance and exchanges, and actively deepen the docking of development strategies.
Second, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. The two sides should continue to expand trade exchanges, actively promote trade diversification and facilitation, promote trade in services and agricultural products, and improve the resilience of the industrial chain and supply chain. Cooperation in advanced manufacturing fields such as chips, aerospace, biomedicine, and renewable energy should be strengthened, and cross-border cooperation in new productivity should be promoted to help both sides achieve high-quality economic development. The two sides should effectively promote the "re-industrialization" process of Pakistan through investment, imports and other means. Enterprises are encouraged to invest and contract projects in each other's countries, and deepen cooperation in infrastructure construction such as railways and ports. Financial cooperation should continue to be strengthened and the scale of trade settlement in local currency should be expanded. Dialogue and cooperation in the fields of digital economy and artificial intelligence should be strengthened.
Third, we should enhance cultural exchanges. The two sides should further strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations and implement the Global Civilization Initiative. We should deepen exchanges between the academic circles of the two countries, strengthen cooperation in think tanks, and provide better advice for bilateral cooperation. We should strive to expand personnel exchanges between the two sides and continue to improve the level of visa facilitation. We should promote exchanges in the field of audiovisual production, promote Chinese teaching in Brazil, carry out Portuguese teaching in China, promote more student exchanges, and explore cooperation in degree certification mechanisms.
Fourth, strengthen international cooperation. The two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation in the China-Latin America Forum and tap the cooperation potential between China and the Southern Common Market. We should continue to strengthen the coordination between the two countries in international organizations and multilateral cooperation mechanisms. China will fully support Brazil in hosting the G20 Summit, the BRICS Summit, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference. We should work together to demonstrate the responsibility of a major country in the "Global South", defend the common interests of developing countries, speak more actively on global hot issues, practice true multilateralism, lead the right direction of global governance, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Guangming Daily (12th edition, August 16, 2024)
Source: Guangming Daily
