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China and Brazil “should not be satisfied with the current state of cooperation,” China’s ambassador to Brasilia said on Wednesday, calling Brazil’s adherence to China’s key foreign policy plans “fundamental.”
Zhu Qingqiao was quoted by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post as saying that on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Zhu Qingqiao attended an event of the Brazil-China Trade National Committee held in Sao Paulo. He believed that Brazil’s inclusion in the “Belt and Road” initiative would become a “manifestation of stability” in the “long-term cooperative relationship.”
Designated the “Project of the Century” by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the initiative has gained global traction over the past decade, with more than 150 countries around the world joining the program, including nearly all of Latin America.
Chinese companies are building ports, roads, railways, power plants and other infrastructure around the world to promote trade and economic growth. The program also solidifies China’s position as a leader in the developing world and a creditor nation.
However, Brazil sent only low-level diplomats to the Beijing forum, while several of its neighbors sent heads of state or government.
“Accession to the WTO could bring mutual benefits and help identify synergies between Brazil’s needs and China’s interests in the most strategic areas,” the ambassador said.
“We believe that this initiative is highly consistent with the development strategies of the Lula da Silva government, such as the reindustrialization plan, the South American integration route and the growth acceleration project,” he added.
In South America, only Brazil, Colombia and Paraguay have not yet joined Beijing’s initiative.
In particular, Brazilian authorities are seeking financing for projects to help connect Brazil to the Pacific Ocean, notably the Chinese-financed deepwater port of Chancay, Peru, scheduled to open in November.
The South China Morning Post quoted the Chinese ambassador as saying, “I think Chinese companies are very interested in participating in some way” in Brazil’s connection to Chancay. However, China’s growing influence in Brazil and Latin America has caused alarm in Washington.
The terms are not persuasive
“Both Brazil and the United States have 200-year-old histories of democracy, while the partnership with China is only 50 years old,” Laura Richardson, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, told local media during a visit to Rio de Janeiro for a joint military exercise last May. “As democracies, we respect each other. We respect each other’s sovereignty,” he said.
Richardson warned that Brasilia must pay attention to the “conditions” put forward by Beijing as part of possible joining the Belt and Road Initiative.
“We learned that the initiative looks really good on paper, but there’s a lot of fine print,” he added. “You need to read the fine print and understand all the conditions and how sovereignty can be taken away over time if the loans are not repaid, etc.”
In response, the Chinese Embassy accused Richardson of “adopting a typical Cold War mentality” and following “hegemonic logic”. In Latin America, the United States uses “democracy” and “human rights” as an excuse to attack, sanction and interfere in Latin American countries.
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