On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which lasted an hour and revolved around the role of BRICS in the changing global order and their trade relations over the next few years.
The leaders, according to comments attributed to both Brazil’s presidency and Chinese state media, reiterated their intentions of bolstering multilateralism through forums such as the G20 and BRICS.
The call highlighted both countries’ common stance of respect to the preservation of multilateral cooperation at a time of escalating geopolitical tensions.
Reflecting on the conversations, Lula’s office noted the two presidents agreed that these forums are “fundamental for promoting dialogue among countries” and “to avoid the establishment of unilateral measures in world trade and politics.”
Business relationships and new opportunities
Beyond political cooperation, the debate focused on growing business potential between Brazil and China.
The Brazilian presidency underlined that both leaders showed a willingness to explore new areas of economic cooperation while expanding on existing strong trade flows.
Agriculture remains a cornerstone of the partnership, with China being the world’s top importer of soybeans, most of which are from Brazil.
Brazilian coffee exporters have recently strengthened their position in the Chinese market, owing in part to tariffs imposed by the United States that have diverted trade patterns.
Tariff disputes and BRICS solidarity
Lula announced last week that he would start a conversation with BRICS nations about how to deal with Trump’s tariffs, after Trump labelled the group “anti-American” and threatened them with further taxes.
BRICS is an important platform for building consensus in the Global South, Xi said, according to a state media report.
He mentioned China is prepared to work with national authorities in Brazil to lead by example among and from one of the major emerging economies, while sending a clear signal of “solidarity and self-reliance.”
Beijing last week backed Brazil in opposing what it called “bullying behaviour” on high tariffs, without directly naming the United States.
Strategic relationship at a high point
Xi described China-Brazil relations as being at their peak in history, according to Xinhua.
The two countries have maintained consistent diplomatic engagement and collaborated on problems such as trade, climate, and global governance.
In addition to economic problems, Xi and Lula discussed bigger geopolitical issues, such as the Ukraine conflict.
Xi stressed the importance of collaborative efforts to promote political solutions to global crises, putting Brazil and China as advocates for negotiation and peaceful resolution.
Outlook for cooperation
Lula and Xi’s conversation is a sign that Brazil–China relations remain on the move, with the two governments estranging themselves from the growing influence of the United States through the defence of the values of multilateralism and reciprocal benefit.
Both states share a focus on agriculture and new trade opportunities, which suggests even deeper commercial relations as a possibility, while BRICS remains the central geography for their coordinated geopolitical activities.
With the global economic climate becoming more confined by tariff walls and trade tensions, both leaders seem determined to harness their partnership to reinforce market access, advance South–South cooperation, and broaden political influence in multilateral institutions.
The alignment also shows how BRICS wishes to evolve into the global order.
For both Brazil and China, the group is more than a mere economic platform.
It serves as a tool for further positioning themselves as part of a multipolar system.
United by common interests, working against the backdrop of rivalry, their true partnership can become a blueprint for other emerging economies that want to adapt to the new geo-economic reality.
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