Lula meets with Chinese executives in Beijing
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has an agenda full of meetings with executives in Beijing on Monday (May 12). He is on an official visit over the next few days.
According to the Planalto presidential palace, the president will meet with the CEOs of two Chinese corporations. The first meeting will be with Lei Zhang, from Envision Energy, which produces wind-energy turbines. Next, the Brazilian leader will receive Cheng Fubo, from Norinco, an industrial enterprise active in defense, cars, machinery, chemicals, and electronics.
These appointments are expected to take place in the morning local time (Sunday night in Brasília), at the hotel where the president is staying.
His business schedule continues with an assembly with representatives of health-care companies, followed by the g of agreements. At the end of the day, President Lula will take part in the closing ceremony of the Brazil–China seminar, with entrepreneurs from both nations.
CELAC–China summit
On Tuesday (13), the Brazilian president will take part in the summit of heads of state and government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) with the Chinese government. CELAC is the only organization that brings together virtually all Latin American countries.
On the same day, as part of his state visit, the president will meet with the main Chinese authorities, including the chair of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Assembly, Zhao Leji, and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang; not to mention an extended meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Great Hall of the People. At least 16 deals between the two countries are likely to be signed on the occasion.
The president, First Lady Janja da Silva, and an entourage of ministers arrived in China late on Saturday (10), after a visit to Russia. They are due to return to Brazil on Wednesday (14).
Russia
On Saturday, the last day of his stay in Russia, President Lula told journalists he plans to expand research and exploration of critical minerals in the country and is looking to Russia for partnerships for this project.
Minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and other rare-earth elements are essential for strategic sectors such as technology, defense, and energy transition. The Ministry of Mines and Energy, the president said, is already in touch with Russian companies.
“We have the idea of increasing our research and exploration of critical minerals because it's only being talked about now and we think Brazil shouldn’t waste any opportunity,” he said at a presser before leaving Moscow.
