1. Bilateral Political Relations

China and Brazil established diplomatic relations on August 15, 1974. Since then, frequent bilateral high-level visits, especially the two visits by Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Brazil in 1993 and 2001, and the visit by Brazilian President Cardoso to China in 1995, have greatly promoted the establishment and development of a strategic partnership between China and Brazil.

The two countries support and cooperate closely with each other in international affairs. Human rights delegations of the two countries have exchanged visits, which have promoted the exchange and cooperation in the area of human rights. The Brazilian government has time and again reaffirmed and upheld One China position, refraining from developing official relations with Taiwan. On the Tibet issue Brazil stresses that it only acknowledges the Dalai Lama as a religious leader without any background of political standing. Brazil supports China's membership to the Pan-American Development Bank and its application for the observer to the Association of Latin American Integration System.

Since the setting up of a regular consultation mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries in 1985, eleven political consultations have been held. China has set up two Consulates-General in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro of Brazil respectively, and Brazil has also set up Consulates-General in Hong Kong and Shanghai respectively.

Visits to Brazil by Chinese leaders since 1990's are as follows: President Yang Shangkun (May 1990), Premier Li Peng (June 1992 and Nov. 1996), State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen (March 1993), Vice- Premier Zhu Rongji (May 1993), President Jiang Zemin (Nov. 1993), Hu Jintao, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat (April 1994), Chairman Qiao Shi of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (Nov. 1994), Chairman Li Ruihuan of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (June 1995), State Councilor Luo Gan (April 1996), Vice-Premier Li Lanqing (May 1997), and Foreign Minister Tan Jiaxuan (Sept. 2000). Visits to China by Brazilian leaders include: President Figueredo (May 1984), President of the Chamber of Deputies Ulysses (Dec. 1985), President Sarney (July 1988), President of the National Congress and President of the Senate Lucena (Jan. 1989), President Cardoso (Dec. 1995), Foreign Minister Lampreia (Nov. 1998), Vice-President Mashier (Dec. 1999) and President of the Supreme Court Aurelio (Aug. 2002).

II. Bilateral Economic and Trade Relations, Economic and Technical Cooperation

In the 27 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Bilateral economic and trade relations have developed steadily. Brazil has all along been the biggest trading partner of China in Latin America and China has become Brazil's fourth largest export destination country and sixth largest import country. In 2002, bilateral trade volume reached $4.469 billion, registering an increase of 20.9% over the previous year, with China's export at $1.466 billion and import at $3.003 billion, rising by 8.5% and 27.9% respectively. In the first quarter of 2003, bilateral trade volume amounted to $1.21 billion, rising year-on-year by 85.5%, with China's export at $390 million and import at $820 million, rising year-on-year by 36.3% and 124.3% respectively. China mainly exports electromechanical equipment, hi-tech products, clothes, coke, textiles, automatic data-processing equipment and accessories, and mainly imports bean products, iron ore, electromechanical equipment, paper pulp, car spare parts, leather, hi-tech products, planes, steel products, plastics and timber.

Up to now, 9 meetings of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee have been held between the two countries.

Bilateral economic and technological cooperation has been developing rapidly since 1984. By the end of 2002, Chinese invested companies and enterprises had reached 67, of which most are trading companies, with the contracted investment of $157 million and actual investment of $119 million. The companies and enterprises are mainly engaged in electrical household appliances, microscope assembling, lumber processing, transport, health and catering. Brazilian enterprises have invested in 277 projects in China with contracted investment of $247 million and actual investment of $72 million. The projects include water conservancy engineering, railway project and catering. A number of Brazilian companies have opened their offices in China.

III. Scientific and Technological, Cultural, Educational and Military Exchanges and Cooperation

Remarkable achievements have been made in Sino-Brazilian scientific and technological cooperation. Since the agreement on scientific and technological cooperation was signed in 1982, the exchange and cooperation in this field have been gradually expanding and deepening. The two sides have signed agreements on cooperation in agriculture, animal husbandry, aquaculture, forestry, hydraulic power generation, aviation, spaceflight, IT, medicine, health, new materials, bio-engineering, and peaceful utilization of nuclear energy. Six meetings of the Joint Scientific and Technological Committee have been convened. The first jointly developed satellite of earth resources was successfully launched in October 1999. The second satellite will be launched in the latter half of 2003. In 2002, the two governments reached an agreement on space technological cooperation for the joint development of the third and fourth satellites.

Cultural and educational exchange and cooperation have been frequent. Chinese art, acrobatics, cultural relic exhibition groups have visited Brazil and a number of Brazilian art delegations have visited China. The two Ministers of Culture exchanged visits in 1999 and 2000. In 2001, cultural festivals were held in each other's country. In 2003, an exhibition of China's terracotta warriors of the Qin Dynasty and historical relics of the Palace Museum was held in St. Paul of Brazil. The two sides have held four meetings of the Joint Cultural Committee. China and Brazil has signed a memorandum on educational exchanges and cooperation. The two sides have carried out cooperation in personnel exchange, providing scholarships for the other country's students, language and culture teaching and exchange of educational information and materials.

There have been constant contacts and mutual visits between the two armies. Offices of Military Attaché were successively set up in each other's country in 1984. In July 2002, Chinese naval fleet made its first visit to Brazil on a round global voyage.

Visits to Brazil from the Chinese side: State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Chi Haotian (April 1994), Vice-Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission Zhang Wannian(April 1997), Chief of General Staff of the PLA Fu Quanyou, Commander of the Air Force Liu Shunyao (1998), Member of the Central Military Commission and Executive Deputy Chief of General Staff Guo Boxiong (2000), and Navy Commander Shi Yunsheng (2002). Visits to China from the Brazilian side: Chief of Staff of Army Delio (May 1996), Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Leonel (June 1996) and Commander of the Army, General Weila (July 1999), Minister of National Defense Quintao (April 2001) and Chief of Staff for the Brazilian Army Marcelo (in June 2002).

IV. Important Bilateral Agreements and Documents

China and Brazil have signed agreements or documents on political, economic and trade, maritime transportation, aviation, science and technology, peaceful utilization of nuclear power, culture and education, of which the major ones are as follows:

(1) Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China and the Federative Republic of Brazil (August 15, 1974).

(2) Trade Agreement between the two governments ( January 7, 1978).

(3) Agreement on Maritime Transportation between the two countries (May 22, 1979).

(4) Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the two governments (March 25, 1982).

(5) Supplementary Protocol to the Trade Agreement (May 29, 1984).

(6) Agreement on Peaceful Utilization of Nuclear Energy (October 11, 1984).

(7) Agreement on Cultural and Educational Cooperation (November 1, 1985).

(8) Protocol on Cooperation on Geological Science (November 1, 1985).

(9) Protocol on Cooperation on Steel and Iron Industry (November 1, 1985).

(10) Protocol on Approval of R&D Satellites of Earth Resources (July 6, 1988).

(11) Protocol on Technical Cooperation between the two Governments (July 6, 1988).

(12) Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation in the Field of Drugs Preventing Serious Epidemics (July 6, 1988).

(13) Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Medicine and Medical Science (July 6, 1988).

(14) Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Electric Power (including Hydropower Generation) (July 6, 1988).

(15) Protocol on Industrial Cooperation between the two governments (July 1988).

(16) Agreement on Economic and Technological Cooperation between the two governments (May 18, 1990).

(17) Agreement on Peaceful Utilization of Outer Space (November 8, 1994).

(18) Agreement on Plant Quarantine between the two governments (December 1995).

(19) Supplementary Agreement to the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and Agreement on Economic and Technological Agreement (December 13, 1995).

(20) Agreement on Cooperation in Animal Quarantine and Hygiene (February 8, 1996).

(21) Agreement on the Retention of the Consulate-General of Brazil in Hong Kong SAR of China (November 8, 1996).

(22) Protocol on Cooperation in Space Technology between the two governments (September 2000).