International Desk: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a telephone conversation on January 23 (Friday).

During the call, President Xi noted that the current year marks the first year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. He emphasized that China will accelerate high-quality development through a high standard of opening-up, thereby creating broader opportunities for China–Brazil cooperation. China, he said, is willing to comprehensively advance mutually beneficial cooperation with Brazil across various sectors, with the aim of building a brighter future for the peoples of both countries.

President Xi further stated that amid the current volatile international landscape, China and Brazil, as important members of the Global South, serve as constructive forces in safeguarding world peace and stability and in advancing the reform and improvement of global governance. He stressed that both countries should better protect their shared interests, as well as those of the Global South as a whole, while jointly upholding the central role of the United Nations and promoting international fairness and justice.

President Lula, in response, said that Brazil is willing to strengthen bilateral relations with China as well as deepen ties between Latin America and China. He noted that Brazil and China are key forces in defending multilateralism and maintaining free trade. Describing the current international situation as a cause for concern, President Lula expressed Brazil’s desire to work closely with China to safeguard the authority of the United Nations, enhance cooperation among BRICS countries, and uphold peace and stability at both regional and global levels.

Source: Cai Alim & Wang Haiman, China Media Group.