Ties with China get Brazilians' thumbs-up

Brazilians believe their trade cooperation with China has achieved a win-win situation, according to a newly released survey, while they spoke highly of the world's second-largest economy's development in various fields.

The poll, "China and the World in the Eyes of Brazil", led by the Institute of National Communication Strategy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, was released before Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's state visit to China. It surveyed more than 1,000 Brazilian citizens on their views on China and the world in 2022.

About 60 percent of those respondents see Sino-Brazilian trade cooperation as a win-win, while more than 55 percent believe Brazil has benefited from the nation's biggest trade partner.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Brazil in 1974, economic and trade relations have made great progress, with China remaining Brazil's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years.

Data show the bilateral trade volume reached more than $171 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 4.9 percent against the backdrop of global challenges, including high inflation, geopolitical conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The respondents also gave nod to the partnership between China and Brazil as the two nations have deepened cooperation in multiple areas, including political, economic and cultural fields, setting a good example for South-South Cooperation, the poll said.

1st strategic partnership

The first strategic partnership China established was with Brazil in 1993, focusing on increasing trade and investments. In addition, the first decade of this century witnessed a sharp intensification of the ties between the two countries, as they have been working together within multilateral institutions and mechanisms, including the BRICS, a pillar of emerging markets comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

China is now Brazil's main source of foreign investment, while China's cumulative investment in Brazil reached nearly $100 billion as of December 2022, according to the Chinese embassy in Brazil.

Infrastructure is a key area of focus for the Chinese companies.

An example of the close ties is the ongoing construction of the Sao Paulo Metro Line 2. It is a project jointly undertaken by the Power Construction Corp of China and local companies in Brazil and has created more than 1,200 local jobs, according to the Chinese company. After its completion, it is expected to improve regional transportation and boost long-term regional economic growth.

Although Brazil has not yet formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative, nearly half of the Brazilians believe it has brought benefits to countries participating in the initiative and the international community as well.

BRI projects have also played a major role in further fortifying China-Latin America ties, including in countries like Brazil, said Zhou Zhiwei, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Latin American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

China and Latin America had made great progress in collaboration in infrastructure and agriculture and there is still a huge potential to tap between the two sides in technological cooperation, including new energy, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, Zhou said.

Taking it to new level

The survey suggested that the two countries take economic and trade relations to a new level and unleash greater potential for regional cooperation.

China's development over the past decades has been well recognized by Brazilians, especially on the economy and technology fronts, the poll found. They are positive about the country's future as well.

More than 60 percent of Brazilians consider China as the second-largest country in the world in terms of politics, economy, science and technology and military power, ranking after the United States, followed by Japan, Russia and Germany.

More than 36 percent of respondents held a positive view of China's economic development, while 31.5 percent recognized the country's modernization in the past. About 30 percent of Brazilians said that China is a responsible country, with 34.2 percent believing China could become the largest economy in the world by 2050.

In tourism, Brazilians have a strong interest in China, as 55.9 percent of the respondents want to visit China and more than 20 percent said they are willing to do business in China, according to the poll.

Chinese culture is also attractive to Brazilians. The Great Wall becomes the best-known cultural symbol in Brazil, and pandas and martial arts rank second and third respectively, according to the survey.

Half of Brazilians are aware of the Chinese Lunar New Year and more than 40 percent are interested in China's porcelain and food.