By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-20 15:16:44 | Updated at 2024-11-20 17:32:54
2 hours ago
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Brasilia on Wednesday for a state meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations and signing more than 30 government agreements.
Xi arrived midmorning at the Alvorada Palace, the official residence of the Brazilian presidency, where he received state honours and attended a performance by Chinese and Brazilian children.
He was scheduled to hold a private meeting with Lula, followed by an expanded session with ministers from both countries.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said the Chinese government would announce the opening of its market to Brazilian sorghum, sesame and fresh grapes.
The export of grapes has been a long-standing objective for Brazil, which has sought to expand trade with its Asian partner for years. Since grapes require processing before export, the product adds value and has the potential to generate jobs domestically.
Negotiations were complicated because opening the fruit market is typically a reciprocal arrangement; when one side allows imports of a fruit, the other is expected to do the same. Brazilian producers have been reluctant to make concessions to Chinese fruit imports due to fears of increased competition.
Brazilian negotiators have also tried to secure the export of other agricultural products, such as pork and beef offal and distillers dried grains (DDG), a by-product of corn ethanol production.
