China and Brazil dramatically upgraded their partnership during President Xi Jinping's state visit to Brasilia on November 20 following the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking Beijing's most substantial diplomatic advance in Latin America this year.

The sweeping rapprochement, sealed through nearly 40 bilateral accords, spans nuclear cooperation, clean energy, agricultural trade and infrastructure development, demonstrating Beijing’s determination to strengthen its foothold in South America's largest economy.

Most remarkably, the deals covering agriculture – signed at the Alvorada Palace during meetings with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – will grant market access for Brazilian fishmeal used in animal feed, sorghum, sesame and fresh grapes. Government sources expressed "good expectations" for additional market openings, particularly for Brazilian pork offal and a review of extractive fish export protocols.

At the heart of the slew of agreements lies Brazil's tacit alignment with China's Belt and Road (BRI) strategy, despite stopping short of formal membership. The compromise – dubbed a "synergy deal" – reflects a delicate balancing act by President Lula’s administration between maintaining autonomy and deepening ties with Beijing.

Lula welcomed the reinforced alliance, highlighting China's position as Brazil's largest trade and investment partner.

During the talks, the leaders addressed global challenges, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, with both nations advocating peace, multilateralism and enhanced representation for developing countries in international governance.

Xi emphasised the partnership's role in amplifying the Global South's influence, whilst promoting a "multipolar world order." The visit coincides with Brazil's upcoming BRICS presidency, where both nations will seek to advance emerging countries’ interests in global affairs.

Former president Dilma Rousseff, now heading the Shanghai-based BRICS Bank, has been working in recent weeks alongside Lula's Chief of Staff Office to coordinate the high-stakes visit.

The relationship has been elevated to China's prestigious "Community with a Shared Future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet" status – a diplomatic designation that Beijing has previously reserved for its most strategically vital partners. The move represents a substantial shift from the cool Sino-Brazilian relations that characterised the years under the tenure of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who antagonised Beijing on ideological grounds.

Prior to his visit, Xi published an article on Folha de S. Paulo pointing out the "new growth drivers" in the economic relationship between China and Brazil and called for alignment between China's BRI and Brazil's development strategies.

"As the new sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation gather pace, our two countries must seize the opportunities offered by the times," Xi wrote, underlining the need for "exemplary projects" benefiting both nations.

Trade flows between the two nations, already exceeding $150bn annually, are set to expand further. Brazilian agribusiness stands to gain substantially, with the new agreements potentially generating $450m in additional exports through market access for products ranging from sorghum to fishmeal.

The strengthened partnership comes at a crucial moment for both countries: China seeks to buttress its influence in the Global South whilst securing vital commodity supplies, while Brazil aims to diversify its international partnerships beyond traditional Western allies.

Brazil's exports to China have surpassed its combined sales to the United States and European Union since Lula's first visit to Beijing in 2004, with bilateral trade growing more than 17 times during this period, according to data released by Brazil's foreign ministry.

"Being a Belt and Road partner country will open up investment opportunities, facilitate trade and promote infrastructure in Brazil … It could benefit from infrastructure projects like roads, ports, and railroads that could cut connectivity and transportation costs," Theo Schunck, Executive Secretary of the Instituto Rio Metropole, told the Global Times.

The deepening of Sino-Brazilian ties underscores the shifting dynamics of global trade and diplomacy, as emerging powers increasingly forge alliances independent of Western influence, expected to further wane under the isolationist agenda of the US’ incoming Trump administration.

Brazilian industrial leaders, however, have voiced reservations about the agreements, fearing the new trade deals could exacerbate Beijing’s market presence at their expense, Valor reported.

The Industry Coalition, representing 14 business entities, highlighted concerns about predatory trade practices, primarily from China.

"The problem is with the industry in general. Without an agreement, we are already seeing excessive product imports. With an agreement signed, the trend is for it to get worse," one industry representative stated.

Industry leaders believe the Asian superpower has implemented a "strategic export support policy," investing heavily in production capacity while facing slower domestic demand growth, leading to increased exports of excess production, which affects sectors including steel, chemicals, textiles, footwear, toys and machinery.

Such concerns extend beyond Brazil. The EU has repeatedly questioned China's excess production capacity, while the US under a future Trump administration is expected to implement protective measures and slap high tariffs on Chinese imports.