Brazil sees market economy in China By Meng Yan (China Daily) Updated: 2004-05-25 08:35
Visiting Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday his
country will immediately set about handling issues concerning the recognition of
China's status as a market economy.
Lula made his remarks during talks with President Hu Jintao, according to a
foreign ministry spokesman.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (R)
and his Brazilian counterpart Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands at the
Great Hall of the People in Beijing May 24, 2004. Silva is on a five-day
state visit to Beijing and Shanghai aimed at boosting exports to Asia's
fastest growing economy. [Reuters]
Hu said such recognition will consolidate the strategic partnership between
China and Brazil and further enhance bilateral trade ties.
Brazil is China's largest trade partner in Latin America, and China is
Brazil's fourth largest trade partner, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Lula arrived in Beijing on Saturday evening for a six-day state visit to
China. Afterwards, he will travel to Mexico to attend the third summit between
Latin America and the European Union.
Lula also told Hu that Brazil supports China's stances on the question of
Taiwan and such issues as human rights, according to the spokesman.
Hu and Lula Monday also signed a joint communique.
Hu said the success of Sino-Brazilian collaboration indicates the potential
and vigor of co-operation between developing countries.
The first Sino-Brazilian ERJ145 regional jet aircraft made a successful
10-minute test flight in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang
Province, last December.
Two months before that, in October, China successfully launched the second of
a series of four scientific research satellites developed jointly with Brazil.
The two countries launched their first Earth Resources Satellite, developed
at a cost of US$300 million, in October 1999 to gather information on the
environment, agriculture, urban planning and water pollution.
The second satellite also aimed at collecting environment data during its
two-year life span.
Lula said Brazi is confident of the prospects of working with China on
political, economic and trade and technological areas.
An impressive lineup of visitors also made the trip with the Brazilian
president.
His entourage includes ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture, planning
and finance as well as development, industry and foreign trade.
A delegation of roughly 500 businessmen is also travelling with the president
to seek Chinese business opportunities.
Lula said he hoped to enhance bilateral co-operation in agriculture, energy
and mineral resources, science and technology, space and information technology,
as well as infrastructure construction.
Brazil's petroleum giant Petrobras set up a representative office in Beijing
on Sunday, and the visiting Brazilian president attended the inauguration
ceremony.
Petrobras, as Brazil's biggest state-owned enterprise, plays an important
role in Brazil-China economic and trade ties, Lula said, adding there is huge
potential in energy co-operation between the two countries.
The Brazilian president will also attend the Global Conference on Poverty
Reduction in Shanghai during his visit.