Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in New York, the United States, Nov 28, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

NEW YORK – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that China and Brazil should take the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties next year as an opportunity to elevate their partnership to a new level.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the call during talks with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira here in New York. 

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Conveying President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, he said 2023 will be an important year in the history of China-Brazil relations.

Conveying President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Wang said 2023 will be an important year in the history of China-Brazil relations

On the occasion of his 100th day in office, President Lula paid a successful visit to China and had in-depth strategic communication with President Xi, reaching an important consensus, he said, adding that the two sides have maintained intensive high-level exchanges, vigorously enhanced mutual political trust and promoted reciprocal cooperation in various fields.

For his part, Vieira said Brazil highly values its relations with China, and stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year.

He said the Brazil side looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges with China, strengthening cooperation in various fields, and pushing for greater development of bilateral relations.

The two sides exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Wang said that China and Brazil are comprehensive strategic partners and have always maintained close coordination in multilateral affairs.

Noting that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is now the focus of the world, he said as the rotating president of the UN Security Council last month, Brazil has played an important mediation role.

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Since assuming the rotating presidency this month, China has actively pushed the Security Council to take action and adopt its first resolution on the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, he said.

But this is only the first step, he said, China and Brazil should strive for new consensus in the Security Council and push for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire between Palestine and Israel, the release of captives,  and a return to the two-state solution as the fundamental one to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, said the Chinese foreign minister.

The resumption of fighting must not be allowed, as it will lead to an even greater humanitarian disaster, he added.

Thanking China for initiating a UN Security Council high-level meeting, Vieira said it will be an important meeting and President Lula instructed him to attend the meeting.

The Brazilian side agrees with China's position. The temporary ceasefire should be extended first, and eventually the peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel should be achieved through the two-state solution, he said.

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Brazil expects China to exert its influence and play its leadership role, and stands ready to work closely with China to prompt the UN Security Council to take new actions and make a unanimous and clear voice, he said.