Lula arrives in China; see commitments in the country

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) landed late this Wednesday morning (12th) in Shanghai, the first stop on his official trip to China. Upon arrival, he was received by former president Dilma Rousseff, who will take office this Thursday (13) as president of the Brics bank – a bloc formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

In addition to Dilma’s inauguration ceremony in the Brics, Lula should visit a Huawei showroom in Shanghai early Thursday afternoon, according to the local time zone with a difference of 11 hours in Brazil. The Chief Executive should talk about 5G and projects for 6G.

Lula will also attend a meeting with the CEO of BYD – considered the largest seller of electric vehicles in the world in 2022, Wang Chuanfu. Also on the agenda is a meeting with the head of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, Chen Jining.

After a dinner with Jining, the president will travel to Beijing, where he will meet with the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, on Friday (14). On the same day, the presidential agenda also includes a meeting with the president of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji, at the Great Palace of the People. Afterwards, Lula will lay flowers at a ceremony at Praça da Paz Celestial.

According to the government, this trip will deal with issues of global governance and trade relations with China, Brazil’s biggest business partner. On the occasion, the president hopes to sign at least 20 bilateral agreements with the Asian nation. One of the treaties will allow the construction of a new satellite for environmental monitoring of the entire Brazilian territory, including the Amazon rainforest.

Lula was supposed to make that trip at the end of last month, but a case of pneumonia forced him to postpone the appointment. The trip to China is Lula’s fourth international visit after taking office. And the return to Brazil is scheduled for next Sunday (16).

Parliamentarians, businessmen and ministers are part of Lula’s entourage

The entourage accompanying the president is made up of businessmen, governors, senators, deputies and ministers. At least 39 congressmen were invited, but not all confirmed.

The president of the Federal Senate and the National Congress, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) is on the delegation to China. Other senators who are in the group are: Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA); Irajá (PSD-TO); Jussara Lima (PSD-PI); Augusta Brito (PT-CE); and Confucio Moura (MDB-RO).

Among the governors are Helder Barbalho (MDB), from Pará; Carlos Brandão (PSB), from Maranhão; Elmano Freitas (PT), from Ceará; Fátima Bezerra (PT), from Rio Grande do Norte; and Jerônimo Rodrigues (PT), from Bahia.

Seven ministers accompany the delegation: Fernando Haddad (Finance); Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Change); Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture and Livestock); Luciana Santos (Science, Technology and Innovation); Mauro Vieira (External Relations); Paulo Teixeira (Agrarian Development); Wellington Dias (Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger).