ICL Columnists – Jamil Chade

Exclusive: China and Brazil Reject Foreign Interference in Elections

In Beijing, Celso Amorim met with the Chinese foreign minister; critical minerals were also discussed

September 16, 2026 | 10:29 a.m.

China and Brazil reject interference in national elections and insist that the exploitation of critical minerals should be accompanied by the development of domestic production. The two issues were addressed during a meeting on Wednesday between Celso Amorim, special adviser to the Brazilian Presidency, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Beijing.

Amorim also delivered a letter from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In it, the Brazilian president “highlights the strength and strategic importance of bilateral cooperation, the convergence between the two countries, and the synergies between their national development projects.”

ICL Notícias learned that during the meeting, Amorim and Wang Yi agreed that there is a point of consensus in the bilateral relationship: opposition to interference in elections. The issue comes to the forefront on the eve of Brazil’s elections, which in recent months have been the target of attacks by the government of Donald Trump.

The White House is considering the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Brazilian officials, potentially creating political destabilization in the country.

Lula is preparing to travel to the United States, where he will open the United Nations General Assembly next Tuesday (22). As previously reported by ICL, the Brazilian president is expected to speak about defending sovereignty and democracy in his address, a message directed against any form of interference. Trump will then take the same stage.

Celso Amorim and Wang Yi meet in Beijing on Wednesday (16) (Photo: Brazilian Federal Government)

At Wednesday’s meeting in Beijing, Brazil and China also made a “highly positive assessment of the progress in bilateral relations over recent years,” according to a government statement.

“Amorim and Wang Yi emphasized the importance of defending peace, dialogue, and strengthening multilateralism. Both condemned attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries,” the statement said.

“Among the priority areas of cooperation discussed at the meeting, the development of artificial intelligence using open-source technology and in an ethical and inclusive manner was highlighted,” according to an official statement from the Brazilian Presidency. “The development of productive and technological capabilities to add value to critical minerals and rare earth elements was also emphasized,” it added.

The issue has become part of Brazil’s electoral campaign, with Bolsonaro-aligned groups suggesting joining Trump’s initiatives to transform Latin America into a protected market for U.S. industry.

The meeting also addressed the international situation, developments arising from the current tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the role of BRICS as a promoter of dialogue.

Amorim and Wang Yi also “reaffirmed their willingness to deepen the strategic character of the ‘Brazil-China Community of a Shared Future for a Fairer World and a Sustainable Planet,’ expand cooperation in areas of common interest, and work jointly in favor of peace, development, and the strengthening of the multilateral system.”

Jamil Chade

Crossing borders alongside refugees, witnessing crimes against humanity, traveling with popes, and covering diplomatic summits, Jamil Chade has visited more than 70 countries. Based at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, he was voted the second most admired journalist in Brazil in 2025. Chade has been a finalist for the Jabuti Prize four times. He is an ambassador for the Adus Institute, a member of the board of the Vladimir Herzog Institute, and was one of the researchers for Brazil’s National Truth Commission.

Original source: ICL Notícias – “Exclusivo: China e Brasil rechaçam ingerência externa em eleições”