If it weren’t for the flu and pneumonia, 77-year-old Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s state visit to China would have taken place from March 26 to 31, and he would have been the first foreign head of state to be received by Chinese President Xi Jinping after Xi’s reelection earlier that month. After two weeks of delays, Lula arrived in China on April 12 with a larger-than-planned delegation of ministers, governors, parliamentary members and about 240 businesspeople.
Many Chinese media describe Lula, who previously served two presidential terms from 2003 to 2010, as “an old friend of China.” “During Lula’s first two terms in office, he laid a solid foundation for cooperation between China and Brazil in all aspects. Over the
