Commentary
It sounds paradoxical, but President Lula da Silva of Brazil is seeking closer ties with both the United States and Communist China.
Lula’s administration claims he will keep Brazil “firmly [in] the democratic camp.” At the same time, Lula chose to meet with Wang Qishan, a close ally of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping, the day after his inauguration. He then publicly proposed that the Latin American trade group Mercosur establish a free trade agreement with “our Chinese friends.”
Given Lula’s leftist ties, some analysts believe his ambivalence is a smokescreen for a realignment with Beijing. But the key to interpreting Lula’s actions is his stated commitment to reassert his country as an international power, to place it “back on the world stage.” In foreign policy, Brazil’s president will be pragmatic. For now, that means he will take what he can get from both the United States and the CCP—so long as it benefits his agenda….