Rio hosts celebration marking 45 years of ties between China and Brazil

China 24

It’s been 45 years since Brazil and China established diplomatic ties, and Rio is hosting a first-of-its-kind celebration. CGTN’s Lucrecia Franco reports.

With an exchange of culinary delights and cultural exhibitions, Brazil celebrated this week the 45th anniversary of the establishment of its diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in Rio de Janeiro.

It was a feast for the senses. Chinese ribbon dancing, which dates back thousands of years, was one of the several art forms many Brazilians had never seen.

Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance and acrobatics, was unknown to Chinese visitors.

These and other performances were featured at an event, which was attended by Chinese and Brazilian business leaders and officials.

It was also an evening for the discerning palate. Served up by chefs from both countries it included Brazilian dishes and the spicy cuisine of China’s Szechuan province.

“I think it is a very good chance to know about each other by means of cultural and the food and the drinking, which are the most common connection between two countries to gather peoples. It is our bridge that can link our countries together,” said Emma Xu, General Manager Luzhou Laojiao Liquors.

It was the first time Brazil celebrated these historical bilateral ties. The idea was to make Brazilians and Chinese more familiar with each other’s culture, in the context of growing economic relations.

Sponsored by the Chinese Consulate General in Rio with the support of the city’s cultural office, the event showed how far Sino-Brazilian trade relations have come since they were established in 1974.

“At the time trade was nothing, almost zero, but after 45 years the total amount of our bilateral trade last year, in 2018, reached more than 100 billion U.S. dollars and we still have every reason to expect that our bilateral trade will be continuing to increase,” said Li Yang China’s Consul General in Rio,

Since 2009, China has been Brazil’s biggest trading partner and is looking to make even more investments in Rio and throughout Brazil. Rio’s international cultural advisor said Brazil and China have much to learn from each other.
We are partners in the BRICs block. We have several trade agreements, so it is a moment we need to deepen our ties.” he said.

And to close the 45-year celebrations in Rio – the city’s most recognizable performance – the color, dancing and drumming of a Samba show.