Brazilian President Lula held talks with business representatives from Brazil and Japan in Tokyo on Wednesday (26th), calling on Japan to increase its investment in Brazil and to view Brazil as a "safe harbor" in the current unstable world marked by climate change denial and rising trade protectionism.

According to Zhongjin's understanding, Lula stated at the Japan-Brazil Business Forum, "Our historical partners must come together to face the uncertainties and instabilities of the global economy. I firmly believe that we need to move towards concluding an economic partnership agreement between Japan and the Southern Common Market. The benefits that both countries will derive from integration far outweigh those from protectionist practices."

This marks the first visit by a Brazilian head of state to Japan since 2019. President Lula's visit is seen as a countermeasure against protectionist actions, particularly during the unilateral increase in import tariffs by the United States under the Trump administration.

During his address to the Japanese business community, Lula emphasized that Brazil is going through a period of political, economic, and social stability and expressed his desire to attract Japanese individuals to establish partnerships, joint ventures, and investments in Brazil. He highlighted the decline in trade volume between Brazil and Japan and expressed regret over the deterioration of the relationship between the two countries.

This visit is considered a significant step in consolidating the new strategic relationship between the two countries. In addition to signing 10 cooperation agreements, Japan announced that it would send a technical delegation to assess Brazil's beef production conditions, a necessary step towards opening the Japanese market to Brazilian beef. Furthermore, the Brazilian aeronautical industry company reached an agreement with Japan's largest airline, ANA (All Nippon Airways), to purchase 20 E-190 jet aircraft.

Lula also criticized the "Second Cold War" and defended multilateralism. He simultaneously condemned climate change denial by the far right, stating that denial of climate change and global warming poses challenges to energy transition.

Japan is Brazil's second largest partner in Asia after China and the 11th largest trading partner globally. The ongoing cooperation between the two countries demonstrates the deepening economic and strategic cooperation between them.