 "Ahead of Xi's trip, Brazil refuses to endorse China's Belt and Road project")
Brazil has become the second BRICS nation, following India, to reject China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.
Celso Amorim, Brazil’s special presidential adviser for international affairs, said on Monday that Brazil has decided not to join the multi-billion dollar mega project. The announcement follows days ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the south American country, scheduled for November 20.
Brazil, headed by President Lula da Silva, wishes to enhance ties with China but without entering into the treaty. Amorim said Brazil does not want to take Chinese infrastructure and trade projects as an insurance policy.
However, Brazil hopes to use some of the Belt and Road framework to find synergy between Brazilian infrastructure projects. The goal would be to connect domestic projects associated with the initiative, without necessarily formally joining the group, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted him as saying.
Brazil’s economy and foreign affairs ministries’ officials have expressed opposition to the idea of joining the Belt and Road Initiative. One of the aspects of the deal is that not only the project not offer any tangible benefits for Brazil in the short term but could also make relations with a potential Trump administration more difficult.
The US is headed to an election on November 5, which could mark the re-entry of former President Donald Trump if he defeats his democratic rival Kamala Harris.
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According to the South China Morning Post, Amorim had travelled to Beijing last week to discuss the initiative but returned unimpressed by China's offers, the Post reported. He was accompanied by the president's chief of staff Rui Costa. The Belt and Road Initiative, considered Jinping’s pet project, is a massive infrastructure project that aims to stretch around the globe.
(With inputs from PTI)