Xi congratulates Lula on reelection as Brazil's president

President Xi Jinping extended congratulations on Tuesday to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on his reelection as president of Brazil, and pledged to work with him to open up broader prospects for all-around strategic coordination between the two countries and continuously enhance the well-being of the two peoples.

In his message, Xi said that Lula has made important contributions to advancing China-Brazil relations.

Xi said that in recent years, he and Lula have maintained close communication through various means, and have jointly guided and made new progress in the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

The global, strategic and long-term significance of the bilateral relationship has become increasingly prominent, making it a model of solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries, he said.

Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Brazil relations and stands ready to work with Lula to guide the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future to new heights.

Also on Tuesday, Vice-President Han Zheng sent a congratulatory message to Geraldo Alckmin on his reelection as Brazil's vice-president.

Lula won Sunday's presidential runoff with 51.79 percent of valid votes, defeating his rival Flavio Bolsonaro, who received 48.21 percent, according to results released by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court. Lula will be sworn in on Jan 5, 2027, marking his fourth term as Brazil's president.

According to data compiled by the Brazil-China Business Council, the value of bilateral trade reached $143.3 billion in the first nine months of 2026.

During Lula's first two terms from 2003 to 2010, bilateral trade ties expanded rapidly, with China becoming Brazil's largest trading partner in 2009. After returning to office in 2023, Lula made two state visits to China — in April that year and in May 2025.

Zhang Jieyu, an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies' Department for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, said that the two nations are expected to continue translating the consensus reached by their leaders into concrete cooperation outcomes, thereby bringing greater certainty and stability to a turbulent international landscape and to a Latin America undergoing profound changes.

China and Brazil enjoy strong economic complementarity and a high degree of alignment in their interests, which will provide broad prospects for further cooperation, she said.

Zhang also highlighted the importance of closer coordination within multilateral frameworks, including BRICS and the China-CELAC Forum, to promote global governance reform and amplify the voice of the Global South.