By Henrique Couto da Nóbrega*
Between 17 and 21 November this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Brazil and took part in the 19th G20 Summit. Together with my family, colleagues and friends, I followed President Xi's visit to Brazil with great enthusiasm, and I also had the opportunity to take part in various activities related to this occasion.
The warm atmosphere in which President Xi Jinping interacted with President Lula left me deeply touched. Lula held, for the first time, a large-scale welcome ceremony with the highest courtesy at his official residence, during which a Brazilian soprano singer sang the Chinese song "Minha Pátria" live to welcome President Xi. He listened to the song with a smile on his face, expressing his appreciation for the friendship between China and Brazil. During his visit, Xi listened carefully to people from all walks of life in Brazil, thus demonstrating his commitment to promoting mutual understanding between the two countries. That was the aspect that struck me most. I realised that President Xi is a wise, sincere and friendly leader.
President of the Brazil-China Friendship Association, Henrique Couto da Nóbrega
During the visit, Presidents Xi and Lula reached a new strategic consensus on the future of bilateral relations. Most importantly, the leaders jointly decided to elevate relations between the two countries towards a Brazil-China community of shared future, aiming for a fairer world and a more sustainable planet. They also agreed to align the Belt and Road Initiative with Brazil's development strategies. In the months following President Xi's visit, the profound impact of this event was clearly evident in discussions with my colleagues and friends. The occasion marked a new chapter in the history of relations between Brazil and China and constituted a significant milestone that promises deeper co-operation in areas such as trade, finance, science and technology, infrastructure and environmental protection, while ensuring that the testimony of friendship between the two countries is passed on to future generations.
Before President Xi's state visit, more than 100 Brazilian friends, including the association I belong to, wrote him letters expressing their gratitude for the contributions of the Chinese government, companies and universities to Brazil-China friendship and to improving local livelihoods. To our great surprise, we soon received a reply from President Xi. It was one of the most remarkable moments of my life.
In his response, President Xi communicated his hope that people from all sectors in both countries can play an active role in promoting the continued development of Brazil-China relations, making the friendship between the two countries flow endlessly like the Yangtze and Amazon rivers. Their words expressed a deep affection for the Brazilian people and a great appreciation for the bilateral relationship, reinforcing the confidence of the various sectors of both countries in the pursuit of collaboration and injecting new impetus into the Brazil-China friendship and the development of bilateral relations, particularly in cultural and technological co-operation.
As the current president of the Sino-Brazilian Friendship Association, I have always endeavoured to promote in-depth cooperation between Brazil and China in the fields of culture, economy and society. In October this year, I attended the China International Friendship Conference and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Overseas Friendship Association at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where I personally heard President Xi speak. He emphasised that friendship between peoples is the basis for stable and lasting international relations, an inexhaustible driving force for world peace and development, and a fundamental premise for achieving win-win cooperation. These warm and inspiring words emphasised President Xi's exceptional wisdom and leadership.
I have visited China several times and have been deeply impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the Chinese people, their advances in scientific and technological innovation, and their achievements in green development. I will never forget our Chinese friends' great interest in Brazilian culture, as well as their appreciation of the relationship between our two countries. In my opinion, it is very important to carry out bilateral exchanges that can broaden the horizons of the peoples of both countries, allow each to learn from the strengths and weaknesses of the other, as well as create opportunities for mutual benefit and common development.
Brazil and China have a friendship that crosses mountains and seas. Despite the geographical distance, the hearts of the two peoples are closely linked. Although our languages and cultures are different, our aspirations for a better life are the same. I am full of hope and expectation for the future of relations and confident that the bond between our nations will deepen, serving as a model of mutually beneficial co-operation for other countries in the world.
(*The author is President of the Brazil-China Friendship Association.)