China, Brazil vow to further deepen ties

President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation and jointly safeguard the central role of the United Nations amid the current turbulent international situation during a phone conversation on Friday.

Xi said it has been more than a year since he and Lula jointly announced the elevation of China-Brazil relations to a community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

Over the past year, the building of the China-Brazil community with a shared future has gathered solid momentum, with closer alignment of development strategies, setting an example of solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries, he said.

Noting that this year marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), Xi said that China's high-quality development through high-standard opening-up will provide more opportunities for cooperation with Brazil.

China stands ready to work with Brazil to comprehensively deepen mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields and promote greater development of bilateral ties to usher in a brighter future of China-Brazil relations, he said.

Xi stressed that as the world faces a turbulent landscape, China and Brazil, as important members of the Global South, are constructive forces for upholding world peace and stability and reforming and improving global governance.

The two countries should firmly stand on the right side of history, better champion the common interests of both countries and the Global South, and jointly uphold the central position of the United Nations and international fairness and justice, he said.

Xi added that China will always be a good friend and good partner of Latin American and Caribbean countries and continue promoting a China-LAC community with a shared future.

Lula said President Xi's historic visit to Brazil in 2024 elevated bilateral relations to a new height and delivered substantial progress in cooperation across various sectors. Brazil is ready to work with China to further advance bilateral ties as well as China-Latin America cooperation, he said.

The Brazilian president also hailed Brazil and China as important forces in upholding multilateralism and defending free trade.

Noting growing concerns over the international situation, Lula said Brazil is willing to strengthen coordination with China to safeguard the authority of the United Nations, strengthen BRICS cooperation, and maintain regional and global peace and stability.

Zhou Zhiwei, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the phone call between Xi and Lula came at a time when the international order is facing serious challenges, as international rules, international law and norms governing international relations are being undermined.

"In this context, the emphasis placed by the two leaders on safeguarding peace, stability and multilateral institutions reflects an effort by major Global South countries to strengthen policy coordination and provide greater predictability in global governance," he said.

Zhou said that by forming aligned positions and coordinated actions in response to current international challenges, the two countries could help rally broader consensus among Global South nations, build stronger collective momentum to address rising anti-globalization trends, and place greater constraints on hegemonic behavior.

Noting that large emerging economies play an important role in supporting global growth, Zhou said that deepening cooperation between China and Brazil will also help reinforce South-South economic linkages and give the Global South greater strategic resilience.

Zhou added that LAC countries have strengthened economic and trade cooperation with China in recent years as they pursued more diversified external partnerships and greater diplomatic autonomy.