Brazil’s President Lula meets with Xi, seeks to expand trade, Chinese investments and talk Ukraine

The new leftist Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited China from April 11 to 14 and met with President Xi Jinping on Friday April 14 in Beijing. Lula, as he is commonly known, brought along a large delegation of politicians and business leaders on his four-day visit aimed at resuming cordial ties with China, in contrast with his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. The Brazilians seek to boost bilateral trade with their largest trading partner but geopolitics – including the war in Ukraine – will also be a part of discussions. Lula’s trip to China came two and a half months after he visited US President Biden in Washington DC. Amid the US-China trade war and tensions, Brazil seeks to uphold relations with both countries, a balancing act.