On 19 April, the Brazilian Association for Chinese Cultural Exchange ("Cultural Association") and the Wuhan delegation held a symposium in Rio de Janeiro. The delegation was welcomed by:
- Peng Jianbo, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the Brazilian Chinese Cultural Exchange Association;
- Huang Yanjuan, Acting President of the Brazilian Chinese Cultural Exchange Association;
- Wu Xiaoman, Secretary General of the Brazilian Chinese Cultural Exchange Association;
- Li Yilong, Deputy Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee;
- Wang Weiyu, Vice Consul General of the Consulate General of China in Rio de Janeiro;
- Qi Ji, Director of the Consular Office;
- Henrique Nóbrega, President of the Brazilian Friendship Association;
- Léo Farias, Secretary General of the Brazilian Friendship Association;
- Leonardo Rocha, Treasurer of the Brazilian Friendship Association;
- Theo Schuk, Executive Director of the Rio Metropolitan Institute;
- Dario Cruz, Representative of the Federal Police;
- In addition to other Chinese leaders abroad, as well as people who are friends of China and Brazil.
The Wuhan delegation is made up of:
- Xu Xiangzhong, President of the Wuhan Overseas Chinese Federation;
- Li Dingjun, Vice President of the Wuhan Science and Technology Association;
- Mao Chong, full-time vice-president of the Wuhan Law Society;
- Wang Xiangsheng, Vice President of the Wuhan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries;
- Li Gaojing Chief Secretary of the Wuhan Foreign Affairs Office.
Huang Yanjuan mentioned that Wuhan, as a famous cultural city with a long history in China, has made significant achievements in economic and social development in recent years and has also made substantial progress in cultural exchanges. She also emphasised that the Cultural Association serves as a platform for cultural exchanges, actively promotes the heritage of Chinese culture and the integration of Chinese into local society, and is committed to public welfare and safeguarding the cause of reunification of the motherland. The Cultural Association has achieved remarkable results in strengthening China-Brazil friendship and promoting cultural, economic, trade and scientific and technological exchanges.
Huang Yanjuan said that the visit of the Wuhan delegation will inject new vitality into the friendly exchanges and co-operation between Wuhan and Brazil, and will also open a new chapter in the cultural exchanges and co-operation between China and Brazil. She also said that the Cultural Association hopes to establish closer channels of co-operation with the city of Wuhan in order to jointly inherit Chinese culture, spread good voices and promote good products.
Wang Weiyu first thanked the delegation for their concern for the Chinese abroad. He said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil, and that Rio is about to host the G20 Summit. At this time, the visit of the Wuhan delegation to Rio will certainly bring new contributions to the friendly exchanges and co-operation between the two countries.
Secondly, Wang Weiyu thanked the Chinese in Rio for their long-term unity and patriotic dedication to promoting economic and cultural exchanges between China and Brazil. He also said that under the new situation, the Consulate General in Rio will continue to uphold the concept of diplomacy for the people, to provide quality services to overseas Chinese and to be a family member and a caring person for overseas Chinese.
The President of the Sino-Brazilian Friendship Association, Henrique Nóbrega, said that this meeting symbolises an important milestone in the history of cooperation and friendship between China and Brazil. Since its creation in the 1960s, the China-Brazil Friendship Association has been committed to supporting exchange and cooperation between the two countries and has achieved remarkable results in the fields of culture, education and justice.
Nóbrega said that from 2023 to the present day, the China-Brazil Friendship Association has made remarkable achievements, in particular:
- judicial exchange activities and the sending of Brazilian judges to China for rich exchanges of experience;
- participation in training seminars on international co-operation between Portuguese-speaking countries last year;
- signed a bilateral agreement with Jinan University;
- promoted the development of Chinese culture in Rio, opening Mandarin courses in partnership with the State University of Rio de Janeiro and the Confucius Institute at PUC;
- in co-operation with the CESGRANRIO Foundation and the National Council of Education Secretaries, has a project to prepare a visit to China to learn about the details of the Chinese Vestibular and to understand its model of professional education and university admissions.
Nóbrega expressed the hope that the visit of the Wuhan delegation to Rio de Janeiro would open up new opportunities to strengthen ties and deepen cooperation between China and Brazil.
Theo Schuck said that the Rio Metropolitan Institute hopes to establish a win-win partnership with China and promote co-operation between the two countries. He also expressed the hope that this visit will bring more opportunities to Wuhan and the state of Rio de Janeiro and deepen ties between China and Brazil.
Li Yilong thanked the Chinese for their unceasing efforts to promote friendly exchanges between China and Brazil and to promote cultural, technological, economic and commercial exchanges between the two countries. He also briefly introduced Wuhan to the guests in terms of geographical location, city size, population, status and economic development. Li Yilong also said:
“Wuhan's development is inseparable from the care and support of overseas Chinese. Wuhan has been working hard to build a scientific and technological innovation centre with national influence, focusing on optimising the foreign investment environment, improving the international level of the city and welcoming more overseas Chinese to invest in Wuhan and create development together.“.
Li Yilong, Deputy Secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee
Li Yilong expressed the hope that, through this visit, he would be able to further strengthen exchanges with the Rio de Janeiro state government and the Chinese abroad, actively expand exchanges and cooperation in the areas of economy and trade, infrastructure construction, urban planning, tourism, culture, education, as well as promoting people-to-people ties.
Xu Xiangzhong pointed out that the Overseas Chinese Federation is a mass organisation led by the Communist Party of China and a bridge between overseas Chinese and Chinese living in China. The Wuhan Overseas Chinese Federation is committed to overseas friendship, cultural exchange and the maintenance of overseas Chinese affairs. He also expressed that the Overseas Chinese Federation is willing to provide support services to Chinese living in Brazil. Finally, Xu Xiangzhong emphasised that although China and Brazil are far apart, the hearts of the Overseas Chinese Federation and the Chinese living in Brazil are always closely linked.
