BEIJING/SAO PAULO — Chinese President Xi Jinping assured Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday that China will stand by Brazil and the broader Global South as global geopolitical tensions rise, state media and official statements said. The leaders spoke by telephone in a call that lasted about 45 minutes, during which both reiterated a commitment to multilateralism and strengthening the United Nations.
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Xi’s remarks came after Lula’s recent criticism of the United States’ military actions in Venezuela, including a U.S. strike and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which has raised regional concerns about sovereignty and external intervention. Xi told Lula that China and Brazil should safeguard shared interests of developing countries and protect the role of the UN “in the current turbulent international situation,” according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.
Xi liga para Lula e diz que China e Brasil devem fortalecer o Sul Global e a ONUhttps://t.co/NkAky9rGmz pic.twitter.com/ZcMZkwQoNg
— exame (@exame) January 23, 2026
🇨🇳🇧🇷 “Facing the turbulent international landscape, China and Brazil, as important members of the Global South, are constructive forces for upholding world peace and stability and reforming and improving global governance. China and Brazil should firmly stand on the right side of… pic.twitter.com/jLvnsPcozW
— Xie Feng 谢锋 (@AmbXieFeng) January 23, 2026
Both leaders emphasised the importance of multilateral diplomacy and international law, with Lula’s office confirming that the pair agreed on “strengthening the United Nations as a path to safeguarding peace and stability in the world.”
China’s foreign ministry and state media reported that Xi stressed the need for Brazil and China to remain constructive forces for peace and stability, advocating fairness and justice in global governance as tensions escalate. Chinese officials said the conversation also reaffirmed deepening cooperation between Beijing and Brasília across economic and strategic areas.
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The discussions reflect both countries’ shared stance on opposing actions perceived as bypassing UN authority, and their intent to collectively reinforce the principles of sovereign equality and negotiated diplomacy in global affairs.