Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures as he poses for a family photo during a Mercosur summit at the CONMEBOL Convention Center, in Luque, Paraguay June 30, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's call for the Southern Common Market, or Mercosur, to pursue a free trade agreement with China has been welcomed by experts as an encouraging signal of closer engagement with Beijing.
Speaking at the recent Mercosur summit, Lula urged the South American bloc to deepen ties with China amid growing trade protectionism and uncertainty in the international economic environment.
Ignacio Bartesaghi, director of the Institute of International Business at the Catholic University of Uruguay, described Lula's remarks as an important development.
"I consider this a positive sign, given that Lula does not usually mention China in his Mercosur speeches," Bartesaghi said.
