Edla Lula
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – A Brazilian trade mission is in Beijing for talks with China on their exports to Brazil. The mission is led by minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, who met with the Chinese minister of Commerce, Bo Xilai, yesterday.

Furlan reports that the two countries remain firmly committed to their negotiating positions, even though the meetings with Chinese authorities have been very cordial. "We believe we can achieve some degree of success in these talks with the Chinese. What will probably happen is that the result we get may be less than what we wanted, but more than what they wanted to give us," he explained.

Furlan said one result of the talks will be the creation of a bilateral oversight commission to monitor trade and watch for sudden spikes in exports of Chinese goods to Brazil. He also said that he has told the Chinese that Brazil will set up safeguards to protect Brazilian domestic producers from an onslaught of Chinese goods. "The exact terms of the safeguard provisos will depend on our present negotiations with China," said the minister.

Translator: Allen Bennett