Monday, March 10, in Beijing, China, Brazil’s Vice President and Minister of Defense, José Alencar, participated in the ceremony inaugurating the High Level Brazil-China Coordination and Cooperation Commission (Cosban).
The Chinese were represented by Vice Prime Minister Wu Yi. The idea to create the commission was born during the visit by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to China in May 2004.
The new body will meet every two years, bringing together high level officials with the objective of strengthening bilateral relations.
During his stay in China, Alencar will also visit Shanghai and meet with the mayor, Han Zheng, and the director of the city’s Economic Commission, Le Jin Peng. Alencar will also meet representatives of the local Brazilian community.
The commission’s first meeting will be on March 24, at which time it will be presided over by Alencar and the Chinese Vice Prime Minister, Wu Yi.
On February 10, the secretary of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Development, Ivan Ramalho, and the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Gao Hucheng, signed a memorandum of understanding (pre-agreement) which establishes quotas for some textile goods from China entering Brazil.
Further negotiations will precede the signing of a final agreement by ministers Luiz Fernando Furlan and Bo Xilai.
ABr