Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) was welcomed by former president Dilma Rousseff (PT) when he landed at Shanghai airport, in China, this Wednesday (12), at 22:20 local time (11:20 in Brasilia). The Brazilian leader arrived 30 minutes later at the hotel, downtown, without speaking to the journalists who were waiting for him. He entered hand in hand with the First Lady, Rosângela Lula da Silva, Janja, smiling, but looking tired after over 30 hours of travel — the presidential plane has little flight capacity and, therefore, had to make three stops along the way.
At the hotel, Lula met with Dilma again. He is taking part in his Workers' Party colleague's inauguration at the head of the New Development Bank (NDB), better known as BRICS Bank, this Thursday (13). Surrounded by reporters and cameras, the former president avoided talking about the bank, promising news for the interview the next day. She praised Shanghai, where she is now living: "It's a very pleasant city, with beautiful landscaping, full of trees, flowers."
Dilma's inauguration ceremony is not Lula's only commitment during his visit to Shanghai. He is also meeting with the CEO of tech giant Huawei and separately with the CEOs of BYD and CCCC. Both the Brazilian president and Janja will have to be tested again for Covid 24 hours before meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing the next day.
Translated by Cassy Dias