Chinese, Brazilian presidents discuss bilateral ties, BRICS cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Brazilian counterpart, Dilma Rousseff, on Monday discussed bilateral ties, the international financial situation and BRICS cooperation. In a phone conversation, Xi recalled that he and Rousseff held an in-depth and fruitful meeting on the sidelines of the fifth BRICS summit in Durban in March and reached broad consensus on bilateral friendly cooperation in various areas. The Chinese president said he is confident that the China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership will advance to higher levels thanks to the joint efforts of the two sides. Noting that some new and complex elements have occurred in the international financial markets, Xi said the BRICS nations should pay close attention to the relevant dynamics, boost communication and cooperation in the financial field, and speed up the construction of a financial safety net. Xi also proposed that the BRICS nations push the international community to enhance coordination on macroeconomic policy-making, enact relevant commitments reached at G20 summits, safeguard international financial stability, fight protectionism, and promote healthy development of the world economy. For her part, Rousseff said she agrees with Xi's opinions and her country pays close attention to the comprehensive strategic partnership between Brazil and China. Brazil, she said, is ready to join hands with China to make their bilateral cooperation more fruitful. Rousseff presented her views about the current international financial situation, saying Brazil is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China and other BRICS countries in this field in order to jointly cope with challenges and safeguard common interests. The two presidents also exchanged views on beefing up bilateral energy cooperation. BRICS groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.