Insights | Brazil sees potential for further cooperation with China under G20: Brazilian scholar

By Gan Tian

(ECNS) -- The Group of Twenty (G20) plays an important role in global economic affairs, said Brazilian scholar Pedro Steenhagen in an exclusive interview with China News Network.

As the G20 Summit is underway in Rio de Janeiro Brazil from November 18 to 19, Pedro Steenhagen, Director of Development and Head of the Workgroup for China-Brazil Relations and Lusophony at Observa China, expected that Brazil and China will strengthen coordination under the framework of the G20 and engage in more dialogue and cooperation with the Global South.

Pedro Steenhagen noted that in a world filled with numerous changes and challenges, the Global South has been trying to push for an agenda reform of fighting hunger and poverty and promoting sustainable development, while developed economies have not been fulfilling their promises to developing countries nor paying proper attention to the Global South.

“They (developed economies) have not been hearing the voice of the Global South or trying to understand the Global South as these countries have demanded,” continued Pedro Steenhagen.

On the contrary, Pedro Steenhagen mentioned that the G20 comprising of main economies of the world has become a forum where many different countries can dialogue and cooperate. It has exerted impacts on advancing South-South cooperation and the reform of global governance system.

Pedro Steenhagen pointed out that as an important member of the G20, China’s experience can provide another path to modernization for other countries.

“China’s economy has been showing signs of great strength for several decades. It’s very resilient, very strong.”said the Brazil scholar. “ China now is focusing a lot on technology. It's leading the world in terms of sustainable development and green economy.”

In Pedro Steenhagen’s view, when looking at China’s development, people should not just look at “the data” or “the percentage of growth”，but also look at “the people-centered development”，and how China “provides the people with high quality development, provides the environment with protection, provides the society with better products”.

In terms of international cooperation, Pedro Steenhagen added that China tried to help partner countries and promoted the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative as well as the Belt and Road Initiative, which all gained fruitful results.

With Brazil taking over the G20 presidency starting from December 2023, Pedro Steenhagen expected that Brazil and China could have the synergy to cooperate and dialogue under the framework of G20.

“Brazil and China have a very strong foundation of partnership. In 1993, Brazil became the first developing country to form a strategic partnership with China. And they elevated it to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012. In the trade and investment area, relations between Brazil and China are very strong, too.” said Pedro Steenhagen during the interview.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. Pedro Steenhagen said that there is much more room for the two countries to become closer.

He hoped that Brazil and China could increase investments and people-to-people exchanges in the future, and conduct more cooperation under the framework of the G20 so as to promote the steady and healthy development of bilateral relations and make more contributions to global governance.