Brasília – The first visit of president Dilma Rousseff to China has resulted in commitments on the part of Chinese president Hu Jintao’s administration that meet some of the demands of Brazilian businessmen. Hu Jintao has promised to open the Chinese market to Brazilian products, such as pork, beef, poultry, tobacco and citrus fruits. Partnerships between the two countries should also include social affairs, tourism, education and sports.
The partnerships have been summed up in a joint statement announced this Tuesday (12th) by Dilma and Hu Jintao, covering 29 different topics, during a ceremony in Beijing. "[The presidents] have agreed to extend their cooperation to new areas, based on principles of mutual respect, equality and reciprocal benefits," the document states.
In the statement, China signals that it intends to cater to requests from Brazilian businessmen for it to open its market. "The Chinese side has expressed its willingness to encourage its enterprises to expand imports of higher value-added products to Brazil. The Brazilian side has reaffirmed its commitment to quickly address the issue of China’s recognition as a market economy," states the text.
According to the document, Dilma and Hu Jintao "have kept their appointment in a friendly, amiable atmosphere." The meeting with Dilma was also attended by the chairman of the Permanent Committee of the National People’s Assembly of China, Wu Bangguo, and the prime minister of the State Council, Wen Jiabao.
In the statement, Dilma and Hu Jintao claim that they "regard the results of the visit as positive, and that its success will help to provide renewed momentum to the development of the Strategic Partnership Brazil-China." Throughout the day, cooperation agreements have been signed in the fields of politics, defence, science and technology, water resources, sports, education, agriculture, electric power, telecommunications and aeronautics.
According to the document, the Chinese and the Brazilian also believe that progress has been made in economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries in the last few years. The text underscores that since 2009, China has been Brazil’s leading trade partner – with a surplus on the Brazilian side.
The text also confirms a partnership for joint action involving executive and regional aviation, and names the Chinese air transport companies and the Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer. After much discussion, Embraer will finally start manufacturing the Legacy executive jet in China. As the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture had announced, three Brazilian meat companies should begin exporting pork to China – the largest market in the world. The document published this Tuesday confirms the initiative.
The agreement provides that dialogue for promotion of trade of foodstuffs and agricultural products between the two countries will be strengthened. According to the text, the registering process for commercial establishments in Brazil that will start selling beef, pork and poultry to China will be made swifter.
The list of products traded between Brazil and China has come to include new items, such as jelly, maize, tobacco leaves from the states of Bahia and Alagoas, bovine embryos and semen, and citrus fruits, from Brazil, and pears, apples, and citrus fruits, from China.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
