Brazil opts out of China's Belt and Road Initiative, seeks alternative partnerships
Brazil has decided not to join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), becoming the second BRICS country, after India, to opt out. Instead, Brazil will seek alternative collaborations with Chinese investors, according to Celso Amorim, a senior adviser to President Lula da Silva.
Amorim stated that Brazil aims to enhance its relationship with China without signing a formal treaty. He emphasized that Brazil will focus on aligning its infrastructure projects with investment opportunities linked to the BRI framework, without officially joining the initiative.
This decision contradicts China's expectations for Brazil to join the BRI during President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit. Brazil's economy and foreign affairs ministries have expressed concerns that joining the BRI may not yield immediate benefits and could complicate future relations with the U.S.