The articles written by the PÚBLICO Brasil team are written in the variant of the Portuguese language used in Brazil.
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I have just returned from a 15-day trip to China for work, as a journalist, on my first visit — and I hope it will not be the last — to the country. Coincidence or not, the tour of some cities in different provinces takes place precisely when Brazil and China celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations, ensuring a relevant commercial partnership as well as technological and cultural cooperation. The story began during military governments in Brazil and advanced in leaps and bounds in the process of redemocratization here.
For those who assume, but have not yet looked into the data analysis, China is today — and since 2009 — Brazil’s largest trading partner: in the last seven years, the country has been the largest external supplier of food to the Chinese, contributing for your food security. In 2023, bilateral trade reached a record US$157 billion, with overcame unprecedented Brazilian value (the difference between exports and imports) of US$ 51 billion. Brazil’s exports to that country totaled US$104 billion, exceeding the sum of sales to the United States and the European Union.
Brazil sells a little bit of everything there: from soy, meat and iron ore to fruit and manufactured products. On the other hand, you buy a variety of clothes for personal use, e-commerceand all kinds of small items, even steel and various high-tech items, such as computer boards and industrial robots. It is a win-win trade, generating foreign exchange and sustainable development for both sides.
We often use a product Made in China (or PRC – People’s Republic of China) without even knowing! I took small welcome souvenirs from Rio de Janeiro, such as notebooks and keychains, for my new Chinese friends. Guess where they were made? In China, of course! More elementary, impossible!
But, after all, what did I think of this initial impression of China? If I were to summarize a unique experience in a few words, I would start by saying that everything is always impressive and gigantic. In terms of area, China, with its 9,596,961 km², is even larger than Brazil, with 8,515,767 km². But it is in population that we begin to understand superlatives: China is the most populous country in the world, home to more than 1.45 billion people, or 18.15% of the world’s population.
Forget about small bourgeois luxuries, like ice in your soda or cold beer! In China, everything is warm or hot, from green tea to natural water, even carbonated drinks. It may seem silly, remembering that it is just a few ice cubes and nothing more; However, it is a small sign to reinforce, all the time, that it is healthier to drink hot teas or juices and water at normal temperature. And it wouldn’t be easy to supply 1.45 billion people with ice.
Chinese food: it is important to know how to separate what you want to eat
Nuno Ferreira Santos
There is all this folklore regarding the exoticism of foods, but I guarantee: just select, delicately, what you like and what you don’t. I stayed away from dishes based on grasshoppers, frogs, rabbits, snakes and other animals, not only for the taste, but also for the connection with biodiversity in everyday life. I loved vegetables, mushrooms and different roots. Colorful and appetizing fruits accompany every meal, and this includes our tomatoes and tomatoes, considered in this category. Sweets and chocolates completed the diverse menus.
The cost of living is not too high for tourists and the yuan can be compared well to the Brazilian real, with a small devaluation in our favor. Always haggle before buying; It is part of Chinese tradition. And do a good search before your trip, to optimize your time and make the most of what’s available. Cities and provinces offer different attractions, accents and experiences. They converge on a common point: the Chinese are reserved. Few speak English (such as executives, traders, teachers and students, always fluent in another language), but they are, in general, very friendly and cordial.
Learn some basic Mandarin words, smile, apologize for not knowing their language and use the translator app a lot. The important thing is to communicate. The metro is easily accessible and taxis can be hailed from the hotel. There are police officers and cameras spread across different points. And I dare say that you will hardly experience any situation of fear or insecurity. We had three real proofs of the return of lost/forgotten objects that would hardly occur on Brazilian soil.
In a group of journalists, we began the journey through the relevant Media Cooperation Forum 2024, for the initiative One Belt, One Roadin the city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, an event that brought together around 200 journalists from all over the world. Chinese officials have made clear their ongoing commitment to sustainable development and decarbonization. They highlighted the role of the media and also warned of the danger of fake news.
After two days of forum, in a formal and reflective environment, we left in a high-level delegation at the invitation of the newspaper People’s Dailyin a group of 20 Latin American journalists, to dive into that big red ocean. We visited a deep China — the cities of Chengdu, Zigong, Yibin, Guangzhou and Foshan — which mix tradition with innovation. We started with a visit to the gentle Giant Panda park in Chengdu, as well as state-of-the-art museums and innovation parks. We saw automation up close at an energy company that replaced human employees with robots to avoid risks on high voltage lines.
But that wasn’t all: we also discovered, in Zigong, the interactive Dinosaur Museum and the famous party lantern industry; we visited a traditional beverage factory in Ybin, surrounded by a century-old park with trees, as well as a drone and unmanned vehicle factory in Guangzhou (Guangzhou), very similar to the “flying cars” from the cartoon Jetsons Family. And if the future is just around the corner, why not think about a serum for hydration for patients undergoing cancer treatment, which mixes different medications, without the risk of having to change them all the time? In Foshan, it was time to visit a 5G smart factory and a high-tech ceramics factory.
Today’s China is in a hurry to find solutions. But solutions that meet not only your reality, but also the desires for sustainable development on the planet. And without ever forgetting where they came from, History, the strength of dynasties, trade and exchange. Museums and temples are open to prove that no one gets here alone.
The noble reader will be able to ask for an opinion, even if it is still being formed for a single visit, on the geopolitical issue and on the restriction of access to global media, such as Instagram, Facebook and Google. I’m not going to risk entering a field that isn’t exactly my specialty. But I can assure you: everyone knows their political reality. It’s nothing a tourist or western visitor can’t survive. And, if the foreigner really misses it, just take out an international card to maintain your connection.
Sincerely? Who needs so much online posts on social networks, when there is so much to absorb, enjoy and discover? For the last five days I was an accidental tourist, wandering around the main points of cosmopolitan Beijing (or Beijing). Climb the Great Wall of China, visit the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. Wander through the calls hutongsthe traditional alleys of housing and commerce. Gratitude, Universe. I hope one day to return and be able to tell you more about China.
