On the afternoon of April 11, President Jiang Zemin and Brazilian President Fernando Enrique Cardoso held talks at the Presidential Palace. The two sides exchanged views on how to further promote and develop bilateral relations and other issues and reached broad consensus.

Cardoso said that Brazil warmly welcomes President Jiang for his visit to Brazil again. Significant progress has been made in the friendship and cooperation since President Jiang's last visit.   As the largest nations in East Asia and Latin America, both China and Brazil are making great efforts in lifting the people's living standards and hope that the 21st century would be a century of prosperity and progress.

Cardoso said that Brazil and China hold identical views on many international issues and favor multi-polarization in the world and the two peoples hope to live in a world of peace, prosperity, mutual respect and dialogue.  And it is on such basis that the strategic partnership has been formed. He expressed his confidence that Jiang's visit will further enhance the partnership between the two countries.

President Jiang thanked Cardoso for his invitation providing an opportunity for him to visit Brazil again at the beginning of the new century. He was very happy glad to meet with old friends again.

Jiang said that during President Cardoso’s visit to China in 1995, they had a friendly and candid discussion and reached important consensus on the establishment of China-Brazil strategic partnership. At this important juncture of building the bilateral relationship on past achievements, their second meeting is of special importance as they jointly charted the development of bilateral relations in the new century and had an in-depth exchange of views of major international issues.

Jiang said that the mutually beneficial cooperation and friendship between the two countries have made long-striding progress in all fields since the forging of diplomatic ties between China and Brazil 27 years ago. In particular, the strategic partnership and its continuous development will raise the bilateral ties to an unprecedented level and promote the steady development of bilateral relations in all areas. We are satisfied with it and fully confident of the constant development of China-Brazil relations in the new century.

Jiang emphasized that China has attached great importance to the Sino- Brazilian relations, which is the fixed policy of the Chinese government. At present, the trend for political multi-polarization is irreversible whereas the economic globalization is developing rapidly. Developing countries are faced with rare opportunities of development and serious challenges. China and Brazil, the two largest developing countries in the Eastern and the Western Hemispheres respectively, have the obligations to play a positive role in pushing forward the healthy development of world politics and economy. Enhanced coordination and increased cooperation and the deepening of strategic partnership between the two nations are of major significance to augmenting the overall strength of the developing countries and to establishing a fair and rational new international political and economic order. We would like to work with the Brazilian side to continue to develop China-Brazil strategic partnership.
In this regard, Jiang put forward several suggestions:

First, continue to maintain top-level contacts and personnel exchanges between the two countries so as to help coordinate their stances to safeguard the two countries' interests and those of the whole developing world. Exchanges and cooperation between the governmental departments of the two sides, local governments and non-governmental groups should be intensified so that the two countries and peoples could enhance understanding, learn from each other’s experience thus  achieving common development.

Second, mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and economy and science and technology should be strengthened so as to add more substance to the strategic partnership. China-Brazil economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation has achieved satisfying results, but there are still potentials to tap in this regard. We would like to expand mutually beneficial cooperation under the principle of equality, mutual benefits, effectiveness, diversified forms, and common development.

Concrete ideas are:

First, bilateral trade and investment could be expanded. The governments of the two countries should strengthen marco- economic adjustment in a bid to support, direct and regulate the trade and economic cooperation among the enterprises.   Assistance and convenience should be given to those projects that are competitive and beneficial to the market prosperity and economic development of the two nations. We are confident of achieving yet another breakthrough in bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Second, scientific and technological cooperation, in particular the high-tech cooperation, can also be expanded. Both China and Brazil are big developing countries with respective strengths in science and technology. They have a good foundation and great potentials to conduct cooperation. China and Brazil have already carried out fruitful cooperation in the aerospace area and have a basic blueprint for future cooperation. Jiang called for efforts to explore more areas for bilateral cooperation, including information technology, bioengineering, pharmaceutics and new materials. He also called for efforts to speed up the application of the scientific achievements to serve their countries' economic development.

Third, China and Brazil should support each other in regional and international affairs. They share many identical or similar views on a lot of international issues. Both sides should consolidate the existing consultative mechanisms and open up new dialogue and coordination channels. We can strengthen cooperation within the framework of the World Trade Organization. We would like to work with the Brazilian side to make contributions to the development of Asia-Latin America relations and a world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

Jiang said that the strategic partnership between China and  Brazil is a new type of state relations based on mutual respect, equality and reciprocity. Such a relationship, which is beyond the limit of geography, is not directed against any third party and has strong vitality. The Sino-Brazilian relationship will make contributions to the establishment of a fair, just and rational new international political and economic system, and will also set an example for the South-South cooperation.

Cardoso agreed with Jiang's comments and proposals on how to further promote bilateral relations. He told Jiang that Brazil would play its due part in the active endeavors.

The two sides also had an in-depth discussion on how to promote bilateral economic cooperation and trade.