Xi Jinping Congratulates Lula on Presidential Victory
Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally reached out to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday, celebrating Lula’s affirmation in Brazil’s presidential election, which secures his fourth term in office.
According to Brazilian election officials, Lula triumphed over conservative contender Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro in a highly competitive race. Interestingly, Bolsonaro had initially surprised many by winning the first round of voting. However, in the runoff, Lula gained approximately 52% of the votes compared to Bolsonaro’s 48%, a decisive enough margin that seemingly led Bolsonaro to accept the election results without questioning their legitimacy.
Nevertheless, Sen. Bolsonaro accused Lula of misusing his power and questioned the legitimacy of the electoral outcome. Notably, a controversial judicial ruling made by a single justice on the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) was highlighted. This decree extended polling hours by two hours to address transportation issues in Lula’s strongest political area; however, it was issued after many polling stations had already closed, potentially undermining the voting process. Bolsonaro also accused Lula of using public funds improperly to finance his campaign, calling it “the largest vote-buying operation in Brazilian election history.”
The response from Xi, along with similar remarks from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and state-run media, framed Lula’s reelection as a positive development, reaffirming China’s support for Lula’s socialist agenda and expressing hopes for future partnerships.
According to the state newspaper China Daily, Xi mentioned that he and Lula had maintained close communications in recent years and had made progress on strengthening the China-Brazil relationship to foster a just world and sustainability.
During the conversation, Xi congratulated Lula and promised collaboration for comprehensive strategic coordination.
Xi emphasized the importance of advancing China-Brazil relations and expressed readiness to work with Lula to elevate their partnership to new heights.
Separately, the Chinese Foreign Ministry celebrated Lula’s election win, indicating a willingness to deepen ties with Brazil under his leadership. Spokesman Guo Jiakun remarked, “China acknowledges the announcement from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court regarding President Lula’s victory in the runoff and offers congratulations.”
The Global Times, a prominent English-language newspaper supported by the Chinese regime, featured enthusiastic commentary from approved experts, who forecasted increased economic collaboration, ongoing high-level diplomatic interactions, and closer coordination within BRICS and other multilateral arrangements during Lula’s new term. They particularly appreciated the “stability and predictability” that comes with Brazil’s ongoing socialist leadership, traits often associated positively with Chinese governance, and noted Lula’s significant role in enhancing Chinese influence within Brazil’s economy.
Trade between Brazil and China reached a new high of $143.3 billion in the first nine months of 2026, confirming China as Brazil’s primary trading partner. Interestingly, Brazil enjoys a trade surplus with China, thanks to extensive soybean and agricultural exports. This economic dependency has been reinforced through the anti-American platform of BRICS, which Lula helped establish, along with technological and political developments. For instance, Brazil has become a major market for cost-effective Chinese electric vehicles this year, while imports of Brazilian oil have surged as Brazil positions itself as an alternative supplier amid disruptions from the Middle East.
Within BRICS, Lula has frequently advocated for reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar, even suggesting the possible creation of an alternative BRICS currency. However, this idea faced setbacks after former President Donald Trump warned that countries attempting to devalue the dollar would incur heavy tariffs. Trump stated, “The notion that BRICS countries can move away from the dollar while we do nothing is OVER,” following his reelection.
Despite this, Lula has still pursued using alternative currencies like the Chinese yuan for trade that bypasses the U.S. According to regime experts, Lula is likely to broaden cooperation with China in various international platforms, including the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, as well as in matters of global debt restructuring and climate negotiations.
