Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

China has vowed to strengthen ties with Brazil amid increased trade tensions with the United States.

Some shit you should know before you read: Tensions between the United States and Brazil have been escalating over the last month, particularly over the country’s prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Trump, who shares a personal relationship with Bolsonaro, has repeatedly condemned charges related to an attempted coup as a politically motivated “witch hunt.” This (+ Brazil’s membership in BRICS) has led to a 50% tariff on the country, along with sanctions targeting some of Brazil’s top judges, including Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

What’s going on now: In a phone call with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi vowed China’s commitment to strengthening ties with Brazil, adding that the bilateral relationship “is at its best in history.” Wang stated that China is “ready to enhance strategic mutual trust, firmly support each other, and deepen practical cooperation in various fields.” He also stressed the importance of implementing the “important consensus” reached during a recent conversation between Presidents Xi Jinping and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in which the two leaders established what Wang described as “solid mutual trust and friendship” and a roadmap for building a China-Brazil community “with a shared future.”

In a readout, both countries also highlighted the role of BRICS as a platform for resisting Western dominance and advancing the interests of the Global South. Vieira noted that “international trade is facing great uncertainties” and stressed that “it is of great significance for BRICS countries to carry out close coordination.” Wang echoed this, praising Brazil’s leadership as the rotating chair of BRICS and calling for the bloc to “resist unilateralism and bullying acts, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and promote the reform and improvement of the global governance system.”

This all comes as China ramps up its economic presence in Brazil, deepening the relationship beyond diplomacy. In the first half of 2025, Brazil emerged as the second-largest recipient of Chinese direct investment globally. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has also begun assembling cars in Brazil.