Lula travels to China with a delegation of businessmen, ministers and congressmen

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) left, this Tuesday (11), starting at 7 am, from Brasília Air Base, for an official trip to China. The entourage that will accompany the president is made up of businessmen, governors, senators, deputies and ministers. At least 39 congressmen were invited, but did not confirm.

According to the Planalto Palace’s schedule, the flight will have two stopovers, in Lisbon and Abu Dhaniel, and the arrival in China will be on Wednesday (12). The meeting with the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, is scheduled for Friday (14).

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.

The petista will also participate in the inauguration ceremony of former president Dilma Rousseff (PT) as president of the Brics bank – a bloc formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The official delegation led by Lula includes the presence of eight ministers: Fernando Haddad (Finance), Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Change), Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture and Livestock), Luciana Santos (Science, Technology and Innovation), Mauro Vieira (External Relations), Alexandre Silveira (Mines and Energy), Paulo Teixeira (Agrarian Development) and Wellington Dias (Development and Social Assistance). In addition, the governors Jerônimo Rodrigues (Bahia), Elmano de Freitas (Ceará), Carlos Brandão (Maranhão), Helder Barbalho (Pará) and Fátima Bezerra (Rio Grande do Norte) will be present.

The president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, is also part of the entourage, which still comprises more than 20 parliamentarians, including federal deputies and senators.

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. The president has already been to Argentina, Uruguay and the United States. Lula also received, in Brasilia, the Prime Minister of Germany, Olaf Scholz, at the end of January.