China and Brazil should "jointly fend off external challenges", China's foreign minister told his Brazilian counterpart in Beijing on Monday, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry.
Both countries agreed to deepen cooperation, safeguard world peace and stability, and defend the rights and interests of developing countries.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi held what China called "strategic dialogue" with Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira.
As key members of the BRICS group of developing nations, Beijing and Brasilia are pushing for a multipolar world order, seeking to dilute U.S. dominance in global financial and political institutions.
The meeting came after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned a U.S. decision to designate two Brazilian drug gangs as terrorist organisations, calling the move undue interference in his country's internal affairs. The U.S. announcement followed lobbying efforts in Washington by the sons of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.
In a meeting with Trump last week in Washington, Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who is preparing a run for president with his father's blessing, said he had asked the U.S. to label the gangs as terrorists.
Wang said China "supports Brazil in safeguarding its national sovereignty, maintaining its independence and autonomy and achieving greater development." The foreign ministry statement did not directly address the U.S. designation.
Wang and Vieira also "conducted comprehensive and in-depth strategic communication on international and regional issues of common concern, reaching broad consensus," the statement said. They called for providing more certainty in what they termed a turbulent world.
While Brazil has faced growing pressure from Washington to limit its ties with Beijing, the two countries have actively collaborated on global security issues, including diplomatic efforts on the conflict in Ukraine.
China is Brazil's largest trading partner, and Brazil is a major exporter of soy, beef, and iron ore to China.
(Reuters)
