Brazilian presidential candidate makes statement on cooperation with China! According to Bloomberg, conservative candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who unexpectedly led in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election, said on October 8 at an event in Brasília: “I will not take sides. If elected, I will pursue cooperation with both the United States and China. Regardless of whether we are dealing with China, Israel, the Middle East, Argentina, or India, I will always stand with the Brazilian people. That is my approach to governance.”
Based on the first-round results from October 4, Flávio Bolsonaro secured 47.03% of the vote, narrowly surpassing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 45.16%, setting up a runoff on October 25. Bolsonaro’s declaration of “not taking sides” appears to reflect strategic balance, but it functions as a standard campaign slogan—beneath the surface, the underlying dynamics are far more complex than the rhetoric suggests.
In reality, Brazil’s political landscape is shaped by concrete economic realities: China has been Brazil’s top trading partner for 17 consecutive years. In 2025, Sino-Brazilian trade reached $171 billion, with Brazil recording a nearly $29 billion surplus from exports to China. Major commodities such as soybeans, iron ore, crude oil, and beef are vital sources of income for Brazil, and their primary buyers are Chinese entities. No Brazilian politician, regardless of pro-American rhetoric, dares publicly declare a desire to sever ties with China. Even Flávio Bolsonaro’s father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who once voiced strong anti-China sentiments, presided over a rise in bilateral trade from $99.4 billion upon taking office to $150.2 billion at the end of his term—figures that do not lie. Thus, Flávio Bolsonaro’s claim of “not taking sides” is not evidence of ideological openness, but rather a reflection of unavoidable geopolitical and economic constraints.
However, according to a 22-page English-language document leaked by Brazilian media and reportedly drafted by key allies of Bolsonaro, if he were to win the presidency, Brazil would cease exporting raw minerals abroad and disengage from China’s processing supply chains. Instead, the country would align with the United States to position itself as one of the world’s top three non-Chinese rare earth suppliers. This signals a clear shift: Brazil will refrain from engaging in traditional commodity trade, but it intends to pivot toward American interests in critical minerals and strategic industries.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878535297155079/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.