Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva expressed concerns on Tuesday about a leak regarding a private dinner conversation his wife, Losangela “Janya” da Silva, had with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Lula is currently in Beijing this week for meetings, including participating in discussions with Xi and attending the fourth ministerial meeting of the CELAC Regional Bloc and Chinese representatives. During this gathering, Xi encouraged Latin American nations to align closely with China.
According to a Brazilian news source, Janya reportedly created an awkward scenario during a private banquet in Beijing after addressing Xi directly about the negative effects of TikTok, based on comments attributed to someone from Lula’s delegation. It was said that she argued the platform’s content algorithm favors certain rights.
G1 reported that there were suggestions within Brazil that it could legitimately regulate or ban TikTok if necessary. Some observers viewed Janya’s intervention as disrespectful to Xi, and one unnamed Brazilian minister noted confusion over her decision to speak at an unplanned event.
Delegation members described the incident as “embarrassing,” viewing it as a downside to an otherwise fruitful visit for Brazil. Further reports indicated that Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan, was also unsettled by Janya’s comments during the gathering.
During a press conference in Beijing, President Lula showed annoyance when asked about the leak, stating he found it peculiar that such details reached the press when only his minister was present. “I wonder how this got out,” he mused.
He further speculated about sending “reliable people” to discuss social media regulations, including TikTok, back in Brazil. “If the minister was upset, he could have left,” he added, suggesting that the reaction might have been overblown.
Lula went on to mention whether it could be feasible to send someone to Brazil to discuss these social media regulations. He claimed that Xi affirmed Brazil’s right to regulate social media platforms and highlighted the need for such regulation.
He defended his wife’s decision to speak, emphasizing her expertise in digital law and asserting that she is not to be seen as less significant. Both Lula and Janya have consistently advocated for tighter regulations on social media.
In past discussions, particularly during the G20 summit, Janya has called for controls on social media to stem the tide of misinformation, and a recent incident involved disruptions while she was speaking about these issues, including a contentious exchange with Elon Musk.
Earlier this year, Lula defended measures taken against social media platforms at the UN, suggesting censorship of conservative viewpoints was crucial for “defending democracy.” Janya, reflecting on specific tragedies, had called for social media regulations following incidents involving youth and harmful challenges on platforms like TikTok.
Lula stated that effective regulation cannot be managed solely within Brazil and must be discussed on a global platform, trying to highlight the challenges of addressing rising extremism.
