Chinese President Xi Jinping was greeted by his Brazilian counterpart Wednesday as he began a state visit to the capital Brasilia, after attending G20 and APEC summits in Latin America.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife welcomed Xi on the red carpet with great pomp, including horse-mounted guards, a military brass band playing their national anthems, and lines of children waving Chinese and Brazilian flags.
Xi's turn in Brazil's capital comes fresh off his attendance Monday and Tuesday at a G20 summit held in the Brazilian coastal city of Rio de Janeiro, and an APEC summit last week in Lima, Peru.
The Chinese leader figured prominently at both those summits, in contrast with outgoing US President Joe Biden who cut a spectral figure as fellow leaders looked past him, politically, to the coming presidency of his elected successor Donald Trump.
That difference also spoke to China's ascendant role as trade partner and investor in Latin America, and expectations that America under Trump will erect trade and migration barriers.
Xi, who has said he will seek to "further enhance" ties with Brasilia with Lula, is bracing for rocky years ahead for Chinese trade with the West, particularly with the United States.
Trump, who will be sworn in on January 20, has signaled a confrontational approach to Beijing, threatening tariffs of up to 60 percent on imports of Chinese goods.
China and Brazil have sought to position themselves as leaders of the Global South at a time of worldwide uncertainty, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
"The Global South is on a collective rise," Xi wrote in an article published in Brazilian media ahead of his visit.
Both China and Brazil have sought to mediate in the Ukraine war while declining to sanction fellow BRICS member Russia for its invasion.
Value-added exports
China is Brazil's biggest trading partner overall, with two-way commerce exceeding $160 billion last year.
Xi looked forward to talks with Lula "on further enhancing China-Brazil relations, promoting synergy of the two countries' development strategies, international and regional issues of common interest," state news agency Xinhua forecast.
Brazil, in turn, will push for increasing exports of value-added products, said its secretary for Asia, Eduardo Paes.
The South American agricultural power sends mainly soybeans and other primary commodities to China, while the Asian giant sells Brazil semiconductors, telephones, vehicles and medicines.
Since returning to power in early 2023, Lula has sought to balance efforts to improve ties with both China and the United States.
A visit to Beijing this year by Vice President Geraldo Alckmin was seen as paving the way for Brazil to potentially join China's Belt and Road Initiative to stimulate trade -- a central pillar of Xi's bid to expand China's clout overseas.
South American nations that have signed up include Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Xi inaugurated South America's first Chinese-funded port while in Lima last week for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he also met with Biden.
The port opening prompted senior US officials to warn Latin America to be vigilant of Chinese investment.
"We encourage Brazil and our allies in general to evaluate with open eyes the risks and benefits of a rapprochement with China," State Department spokeswoman Natalia Molano told AFP.
Wednesday's meeting between the leaders of the world's second- and seventh-most populated countries comes as Brazil and China mark 50 years of diplomatic ties.