Brasília, March 17, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Minister of Foreign Relations, Ambassador Celso Amorim, participated yesterday (16) in a dinner offered by the Chinese Ambassador, Jiang Yuand, to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. About the dinner, the Minister affirmed that the reception was for the purpose of "tightening even more Sino-Brazilian relations, which have become very dynamic in recent years." According to Amorim, there are great prospects for increasing Brazilian exports to China. They currently stand at around US$ 4 billion. "China is Brazil's principal market in Asia, and there is also very strong cooperation between the two countries in the sector of Science and Technology, especially in satellite launching."

In 2004, "we shall commemorate 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Brazil and China, and this factor, too, can signify an increase in relations between the two countries," the Minister recalled. (DAS)