Investment by Chinese companies in Brazil more than tripled in 2021, returning to pre-Covid pandemic levels and making the country the main destination for Chinese capital last year.
After a lukewarm performance in 2020, operations such as Tencent's investments in fintechs and startups such as Nubank, QuintoAndar and Cora, as well as billionaire investments by Chinese oil companies in the Santos Basin have increased.
Also noteworthy was the purchasing of the power transmission company in Rio Grande do Sul by State Grid and of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Iracemápolis (SP) by Great Wall Motors.
According to a report by the Brazil-China Business Council to be released this Wednesday (31), investment from the Asian country has jumped by 208% in nominal terms (disregarding inflation), to US$ 5.9 billion, the peak in four years.
China's presence has become one of the topics of the presidential campaign.
To entrepreneurs, Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy) said he did not want "the 'Chinese' entering here, breaking our factories, our industries", and former President Lula, who believes China is "taking over Brazil", has expressed his concern regarding the advance of the Asian country in the local industry.
Translated by Cassy Dias