Chinese President Xi arrives in Brazil for G20 summit talks with Lula

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to attend the G20 summit and is set to have in-depth talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chinese state media reported on Monday.

In a statement, Xi said he looks forward to having an exchange of views with the Brazilian president on further enhancing relations between the two countries, Xinhua news reported.

Xi said the two leaders will talk about promoting development strategies between China and Brazil, as well as discuss international and regional issues, the statement said.

Noting that he has visited Brazil four times and witnessed the development and changes in the country over the past 30 years, Xi said he feels very close to Brazil.

Brazil and China, which are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations this year, are both members of the BRICS group of major emerging economies.

China is Brazil's largest export market, and China's trade with Brazil rose 9.9% in the first 10 months of 2024 from the same period last year, according to Xinhua.

This is Xi's second visit to Brazil in five years, China's foreign ministry had previously said, as the countries forge stronger economic ties in various key sectors. REUTERS