Lula will return to China in May

President confirms a presence at the Celac-China forum in May, his second trip to Asia in two months. Meeting reinforces relations between Brazil and Beijing

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accepted the Chinese government’s invitation to attend a meeting between Latin American countries, which will take place in May in Beijing. This will be your second trip to Asia in a short time, as your trip to Japan is confirmed on March 25 and 26.

According to Globo, in the Chinese capital, Lula will be the main guest of the Celac-China forum, an event that brings together Latin America nations. Initially, Beijing showed interest in holding the meeting in Brazil, but the Brazilian government claimed difficulties in hosting another major international commitment this year.

The justification is in the intense diplomatic agenda, which includes the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro in June and COP30 in Belém, scheduled for November. Thus, Beijing was chosen as the event’s headquarters, whose most likely date is May 12th.

Although the meeting has ministerial character, Lula will be one of the few heads of state present. Among the other expected leaders are representatives of Honduras, the last country to occupy the rotating presidency of Celac, and Colombia, which currently performs this function.

Created in 2010, during the first Lula administration, the community of Latin American and Caribbean states (Celac) focuses on regional integration and development, principles that align with Chinese diplomacy. One of Celac’s differentials is the exclusion of the United States and Canada, becoming the first political organism to unite the 33 countries in the region.

In 2014, at China’s initiative, the celac-china forum emerged. However, in 2021, Brazil suspended its participation in Celac by decision of then President Jair Bolsonaro. At the time, the government criticized the group for including countries with non -democratic regimes, such as Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, according to statements by then -Chancellor Ernesto Araújo.

With Lula’s return to presidency, Brazil resumed its participation in Celac two years later.

Lula’s trip to China reinforces the ties between the two countries, being his second visit to the Asian country since the beginning of the current term.

In November, Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Brazil and stated that relations between the two nations live their best historic moment. XI should return to Brazil in June, when it will participate in the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro.