Brazil attaches importance to developing trade relations with China

　　Before Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's visit to China, Fernando Pimentel, Brazil's Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, stated in a media interview about Brazil-China economic and trade relations that Brazil attaches importance to developing trade ties with China and is willing to establish a strategic trade relationship; at the same time, Brazil welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in Brazil and participate in Brazil's infrastructure construction and agricultural production development.

　　Brazil strategically values developing relations with China

　　When discussing Brazil's trade attitude towards China, Pimentel said that Brazil and China have a good trade relationship, and China is Brazil's most important trading partner and the main source of Brazil's foreign trade surplus.

　　According to statistics from Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, in 2010, Brazil's exports to China amounted to 30.786 billion US dollars, an increase of 46.6% compared to 2009. China's exports to Brazil amounted to 25.593 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 60.9%. Brazil's surplus was 5.192 billion US dollars. In the first quarter of this year, China-Brazil trade continued its strong growth, with bilateral trade reaching 14.323 billion US dollars, of which Brazil's exports were 7.137 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 51%; imports were 7.186 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 34.5%. Brazil's main export products to China are: iron ore, soybeans, petroleum, steel, meat, and orange juice. The main imported products are: electronic and electrical products, machinery and equipment, chemical products, automobiles, and clothing.

　　Pimentel stated that Brazil is willing to continue its economic and trade cooperation with China, while also exploring broader areas of economic and trade cooperation, such as strengthening mutual investment between enterprises, expanding Brazil's manufactured goods exports, and attracting Chinese enterprises to participate in Brazil's infrastructure investment. He emphasized that the development of our economic and trade relations should not be limited to commodity trade, but also needs to strengthen cooperation in science and technology, education, and market research.

　　Brazil welcomes Chinese companies to invest in Brazil

　　Pimentel said that Brazil's economy is developing, but facilities in areas such as transportation and energy are backward and require significant investment in construction. In its economic development over recent decades, China has accumulated rich experience in infrastructure construction, and the improvement of China's foreign trade competitiveness has also benefited from the large-scale investment and construction in infrastructure over these years.

　　He believes that airports, ports, and roads are important factors affecting corporate competitiveness. Brazil hopes that Chinese enterprises will invest in Brazil to help Brazil accelerate infrastructure construction. Chinese investment in Brazil is very broad, with vast and promising prospects for returns. China is a reliable and stable partner for Brazil.

　　He emphasized that Brazil is currently tendering for the construction of a high-speed railway from Rio to Campinas. China has mature experience and competitiveness in high-speed rail construction, and Brazil hopes that Chinese companies will participate in Brazil's high-speed rail tender to help us build the first high-speed railway. This will be the first high-speed rail on the American continent, and whoever takes the lead will have a huge advantage in future high-speed rail construction in Latin America and even North America.

　　Brazil will provide land guarantees for foreign investment in agriculture

　　When asked about the Brazilian government's restrictions on foreigners purchasing land in Brazil, Minister Pimentel stated that Brazilians' understanding of land issues should be viewed from a historical and cultural tradition perspective. He said that maintaining territorial integrity and unity is a source of pride for Brazilians, and therefore, protecting land resources reflects this Brazilian culture. We will not easily hand over land to foreigners. This is not specifically aimed at Chinese people, nor is it aimed at a particular country; this is our historical and cultural spirit.

　　He emphasized that this does not mean that China or other countries cannot invest in Brazilian land. The Brazilian government is studying restrictions on foreigners purchasing land in Brazil, and at the same time, it is establishing a cross-departmental working group to study how to guarantee foreign agricultural investment in Brazil and provide legal protection for foreigners developing agriculture in Brazil. Both wholly-owned and joint ventures will receive long-term legal guarantees for land use, meaning that foreign investors developing agriculture in Brazil will have no problem using land, but land ownership will be restricted. He hopes that Chinese enterprises will establish cooperative relationships with Brazilian enterprises to engage in long-term agricultural production using Brazilian land. The land issue will not restrict foreign investment, nor will it become an obstacle to agricultural cooperation.