Brazil and China signed this Friday (25) several agreements and memorandums of understanding in the areas of politics, science and technology and education, economy and trade, energy and agriculture, reports “Agência Brasil. President Jair Bolsonaro is in the Asian country, the second on the presidential delegation's tour of Asia and the Middle East. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
“I was looking forward to this visit because we have China as our first trading partner and I am very interested in strengthening this trade, as well as expanding new horizons. Today we can say that a considerable part of Brazil needs China and China also needs Brazil”, said Bolsonaro during the meeting.
In a joint statement, the two presidents expressed their determination to expand trade and diversify the exchange of products, as well as cooperate with development and investment policies, such as Brazil's Investment Partnership Program (PPI) and the Belt and Road Initiative. da Rota, from China.
China is Brazil's largest trading partner, in 2018, the flow of trade between the two countries reached the historic mark of US$ 98.9 billion. The Asian country is also one of the main suppliers of investment in crucial areas such as infrastructure and energy.
Agriculture and commerce
Among the acts signed are sanitary protocols for the export of thermo-processed meat (which goes through a cooking process) and cottonseed meal from Brazil to China. In 2018, Brazil exported US$ 557 million in processed beef and China imported US$ 25 million of the product. For cottonseed meal, used as animal feed, Brazilian exports are still incipient. China imported US$ 4 million of the commodity last year.
The two countries also began to recognize Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) certifications issued by the customs authorities of both countries. A company certified as an OAS enjoys benefits such as priority treatment, fewer inspections, less stringent safety requirements and expedited shipping. The Brazilian authority for this purpose is the Federal Revenue Service. The agreement should ensure greater agility and predictability for exporters and importers in bilateral trade recognized as OAS.
Bolsonaro and Xi Jiping highlighted the role of the Sino-Brazilian High-Level Commission for Concertation and Cooperation (Cosban) as the main mechanism for boosting relations between the two countries. In 2020, Brazil and China begin the process of improving and modernizing this structure and updating the Joint Action Plan (2015-21) and the Ten-Year Cooperation Plan (2012-21).
A signed memorandum of understanding also provides for more regular and direct institutional contacts between the ministries of Brazilian Foreign Affairs and Chinese Foreign Affairs, “which will enable close and agile communication on bilateral, regional and international issues of great relevance”.
Energy
In the energy area, Brazil and China have established cooperation for the development of new and renewable energy, bioenergy and energy distribution and efficiency. The agreement also provides for cooperation and coordination with third countries and international forums.
The Operation Release Term was also delivered to the State Grid Corporation, which marks the completion of works on the electricity transmission project between the Belo Monte Plant, in Pará, and Rio de Janeiro, with an extension of 2.5 thousand km. The completion and commercial operation of Xingu Rio Transmissora de Energia SA, a project that required investments in the order of R$ 8.5 billion, consolidates the partnership between Brazil and China, and, according to the government, demonstrates the great attractiveness of the Brazilian electricity sector for foreign investment in the country.
An agreement signed between the National Industrial Learning Service (Senai) and CTG Brasil, a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Cooperation, will also allow the creation of a Research and Development center focused especially on research in the area of clean energy generation. The “Technical-Scientific Innovation Platform” will be responsible for coordinating resources and projects with an application of up to R$ 100 million over the next five years, promoting the exchange of best practices, knowledge and technology between institutions, suppliers, partners, universities and research centers research from Brazil and China.
Education and research
During Bolsonaro's visit to China, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) also signed an international collaboration agreement with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Among the planned actions are the exchange of scientists, academics, postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows; the promotion of research in education and related areas; promoting partnerships between universities; the sponsorship of seminars, workshops and conferences; and the promotion of joint research programs and projects.
Brazil and China also intend to expand communication channels between young scientists and researchers and deepen scientific and technological collaboration between the two countries. Governments will fund young scientists and researchers who have completed their PhD within a five-year period before submitting proposals. The sending country will cover the costs of international travel, insurance and scholarships, while the receiving country will guarantee young people conditions for research activities and access to bibliographic material during the exchange period.
The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and the Chinese Academy of Sciences want to establish a BrazilChina “virtual laboratory” that will develop research in the areas of germplasm characterization, genome editing and functional genetics in soybean crops. This will be the first joint laboratory project between the two countries in the areas of agriculture and natural resources.
An agreement was also signed today between the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) and the University of Hebei for the establishment of the Confucius Institute at UFG. The institute provides classes in Mandarin, Chinese culture and traditional Chinese medicine. Ten units of the Confucius Institute are currently operating in Brazil.
In November, Xi Jinping is expected to come to Brazil to participate in the 11th BRICS Summit (groups formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Bolsonaro also met today with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and participated in the Floral Placing Ceremony at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Beijing.
On the second day of his official visit to China, the Brazilian president also participated in the opening of the Brazil-China Business Seminar: 45 years building bilateral ties. “Brazil has been regaining its confidence in the world,” he told the businesspeople.
In addition to the acts with the Chinese government, commercial agreements were signed in the area of infrastructure and agriculture, in addition to the invitation for China to participate in the oil and gas mega auction, which will take place on November 6th. The auction will be for volumes exceeding the Transfer of Rights contract, which is a direct contracting system for areas owned by the Union to Petrobras.
Law No. 12,276/2010 granted the state-owned company the right to extract up to 5 billion barrels of oil equivalent in these uncontracted areas, located in the pre-salt. The result will follow the new law on sharing between states and municipalities in Brazil.
