President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited this Thursday (13) the research and development center of the technology company Huawei, in Shanghai, which has also operated in Brazil for 25 years. Lula is on a trip to China where he also met with businessmen and political authorities.
“I visited Huawei’s technology development center. The company gave a presentation on 5G and solutions in telemedicine, education and connectivity. A very strong investment in research and innovation”, wrote the president in a publication on social networks.
In a statement, the Presidency of the Republic informed that Huawei reinforced its commitment to work in a long-term perspective for the sustainable development of Brazil, in partnerships focused on connectivity, digital inclusion, education, health and reindustrialization. “The presentation showed, for example, achievements in digital connectivity projects in remote areas of the Amazon and actions to connect public schools and interconnect security sectors”, he highlighted.
Lula tries out Huawei’s virtual reality glasses – Ricardo Stuckert/PR
After the visit, Lula met with the leader of the electric vehicle company BYD, Wang Chuanfu. The company produces electric buses and is negotiating an electric car factory in Camaçari, Bahia.
According to Planalto, Chuanfu spoke about Chinese public policies that gave the country “a strong industry of electric vehicles” and increased adoption of both passenger cars and public transport buses.
Afterwards, Lula, accompanied by ministers of state and governors who are in the delegation, met with the chairman of the board of the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), Wang Tongzhou. According to the Presidency, this is the largest civil construction company in China and, in Brazil, it invests in infrastructure works such as the construction of the bridge between Salvador and Itaparica, in Bahia.
“The president of the CCCC expressed his desire to increase cooperation between Brazilian and Chinese companies. Wang Tongzhou also proposed the creation of direct exchange mechanisms between the yuan (Chinese currency) and the real to facilitate financial transactions between the two countries,” reported Planalto.
Earlier, the Brazilian president was at the Inauguration of former President Dilma Rousseff in charge of the New Development Bank, the development bank for the Brics, a bloc formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The presidential motorcade left Shanghai around 22:00 local time, bound for Beijing. Tomorrow (14), in the Chinese capital, Lula will have a meeting with union leaders and bilateral meetings with authorities, among them the Chinese president, Xi Jinping.
The schedule with the leader of the Asian country includes an open meeting, a ceremony for signing bilateral agreements and then a closed bilateral meeting. There will also be a gift exchange ceremony, photo registration and an official dinner. Accompanying the president is a delegation of businessmen, governors, parliamentarians and ministers, and the expectation is that more than 20 agreements are signed in several areas.
The trip to China is Lula’s fourth international visit after taking office in this third term. The president has already been to Argentina, Uruguay and the United States. She also received, in Brasilia, the Prime Minister of Germany, Olaf Scholz, at the end of January.
Upon returning to Brazil, on Saturday (15), the presidential plane will land in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, for an official visit.
