Brazil-China relations between right and left governments from 2016 to 2024

Abstract

This article analyses the trajectory of the relationship between Brazil and China from 2016 to 2024 through three dimensions: bilateral economic and trade relations; convergence and joint action in pluri- and multilateral forums; and the social-ideological dimension. This period begins with the ousting of President Dilma Rousseff in 2016, and ends with President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Brazil in November 2024, at the end of the second year of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (2013-) government. Despite various political changes, the economic and trade sphere appeared to remain shielded. During Michel Temer’s government (2016-2018), there was a cooling of political relations, while Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2022) adopted a hostile ideological stance toward China. With Lula’s return to the presidency, in a context where Brazil held the G20 presidency (2024), the BRICS chairmanship (2025), and hosted the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) (2025), joint coordination resumed, with both countries acting as leaders of the global South and greater political affinity between their leaders. However, Lula’s government has sought to adjust economic and trade relations to support Brazil’s commitment to reindustrialization, guided by ecological, energy, and digital transitions.