Os avanços e retrocessos das relações sino-brasileiras nos governos Lula (2003-10) e Bolsonaro (2019-22)

Abstract

Since the recognition of the People's Republic of China (PRC) by Brazil in 1974, relations between the two largest developing countries on their respective continents have been continuously underlined by attempts of approach and moments of retreat, reinforced by domestic and international challenges and constraints. In this sense, this research aims at the development of the Sino-Brazilian partnership in the first quarter of the 21st century, with particular focus on political-diplomatic and economic-commercial relationsin the Lula da Silva(2003-10) and Bolsonaro (2019-22) administrations. In order to elucidate how theinternal alternations of power influenced such relations, the preliminary hypothesis was that thegovernment changesin Brazil had a direct impact on itsties with the Chinese dragon,since theideology changes highlighted in the Lula and Bolsonaro governments resulted in the definitionof different goals to be pursued by the country in the international arena, at least ina first moment. In an attempt to corroborate this hypothesis, a historical and quali quantitativeapproach was used, as well as an explanatory scope, a hypothetical-deductive method, and an applied nature. Furthermore, the study was based on the Two-Level Game theory and the conceptualization of notions such as Foreign Policy and Diplomacy. Based on the analysis of bibliographic surveys and academic production, official documents, speeches, statistical data, tweets, and journalistic reports, the proposed hypothesis was confirmed at the end of the research, since opposing ideological orientations were observed with the rise of Lula and Bolsonaro. In this sense, while the first pursued a universalist and Third World-oriented diplomacy, the latter tried to undertake an anti-globalist and Americanist foreign policy, pulverized by domestic interest groups.