Brazil–China relations are the current and historical relationship between Brazil and China. Relations between Brazil and China began in the early nineteenth century and continued until 1949, when they were disrupted by the creation of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Diplomatic relations between the PRC and Brazil officially began in 1974 with agreement on the establishment and operation of Brazil's embassy in Beijing and China's embassy in Brasília. Since then, bilateral ties have developed mostly based on non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit (win-win).
The growing economic and political relationship between the two countries was confirmed by Lula's visit to China, which included 450 Brazilian business representatives. Brazilian foreign minister Celso Amorim noted that the growing relationship could be part of a ‘reconfiguration of the world's commercial and diplomatic geography’.
Both nations are members of BRICS, G20 and the United Nations.
History
Early undertakings involving Brazil and China were mediated by the mutual participation of Brazil and Macao in the Portuguese Empire. The first of these connections dates to 1812, when Queen Maria I of Portugal, then based in Brazil, imported Chinese laborers to work on a tea plantation near Rio de Janeiro. In 1900, a fresh wave of immigrants from China settled in São Paulo.
In 1879, Admiral Arthur Silveira da Motta, Baron of Jaceguai and soon to be the first Brazilian envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary in Beijing, led a "naval mission" to China to established diplomatic relations, while another mission was sent to London to discuss Chinese immigration with China's diplomats there. Formal relations between the Empire of Brazil and the Qing Dynasty were established in September 1880 with the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation. The Chinese refused, however, to permit Brazilians to hire Chinese as contract laborers, knowing that non-white laborers were treated "as machines or as cheap labour". The British were also opposed to the importation of Chinese labor to Brazil, believing it would inevitably result in de facto slavery. (Slavery in Brazil was only abolished in 1888.) Late in 1893, José de Costa Azevedo, Baron of Ladario, went to Beijing to negotiate a new treaty on immigration, but the Chinese were uninterested.
Formal relations with the Republic of China ended following the Chinese Civil War (1927–50) and were only re-established with the People's Republic of China in 1974. In the 21st century Brazilian businessmen have been somewhat frustrated by what the Financial Times have described as a slow pace of development for some aspects of the relationship. For example, Brazil officially recognised China as a market economy in 2004 but by 2009 the corresponding changes to the trading arrangements had not been implemented. However agreement had been reached on a wide range of issues, and an outstanding personal relationship had been established between the two nation's leaders. In 2010 the second BRIC Summit was held in Brazil, with proposals made for increased cooperation between Brazil and China on political and trade related issues as well as energy, mining, financial services and agriculture.
In 2004, Brazil and China established the China-Brazil High-Level Commission for Coordination and Cooperation (COSBAN). COSBAN serves as the primary mechanism for high-level dialogue between the two countries, and COSBAN's dialogues have often focused on energy and climate change action.
In an address to the Brazilian Congress on November 12, 2004, Chinese President Hu Jintao said that ‘both Latin America and China have similar experiences in gaining national liberation, defending national independence and constructing the country’. Therefore, ‘both sides have the same feelings and common languages’. He said that ‘China-Latin American relations were expected to support each other in the political fields, strengthen economic complementarily, and carry out close cultural contacts’.
Between 2009 and 2014, the Brazil and China engaged in frequent and effective cooperation. Both countries joined the BASIC group at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in order to further coordinate negotiating positions on climate change issues. Subsequent bilateral climate change cooperation between Brazil and China was guided by the 2010 Joint Action Plan, which also emphasized environmental protection and energy security. In 2014, Brazil's economic crisis hampered its ability to fund bilateral initiatives and more broadly assert itself in international affairs; Brazil-China cooperation also declined.