China pledges to boost ties with Brazil

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that boosting ties with Brazil is China's firm strategic choice.

"Brazil is the first developing country to forge strategic partnership with China," Xi told his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the fifth BRICS summit.

"China-Brazil ties have exceeded the boundary of bilateral relations with increasing strategic significance and global influence," Xi said. "Both nations see each other's development as opportunities for its own development and take it as a firm strategic choice to boost the bilateral cooperation."

Xi said China stands ready to work with Brazil to build a new paradigm of state-to-state relationship amid deepening economic globalization.

He called on the two countries to tap their respective advantages, promote trade and investment at the same time, with enhanced cooperation in key sectors, increased point-to-point cooperation in industries, and diversified bilateral trade.

Xi also urged stronger financial cooperation and a steady progress in settling bilateral trade accounts in home currencies. He also urged the two sides to guide their enterprises toward settling their disputes in an appropriate way.

Rousseff said the bilateral relations have made substantial progress in recent years and grown more important.

The two sides have established cooperation mechanisms, formulated a joint action plan and expanded cooperation, said Rousseff, adding that China is now the largest trading partner and export market for Brazil.

She said both countries are faced with vital opportunities to deepen their strategic cooperation.

Brazil sees eye to eye with China on the necessity to further cooperation, welcoming Chinese enterprises to participate in Brazil's communications, transportation and other large-scale infrastructure projects, and encouraging bilateral financial cooperation, she noted.