Event highlights business opportunities in agriculture, mining, car making, smart cities, renewable energy, and technology
04/22/2025
In a bid to deepen ties with its largest trading partner, a Brazilian delegation of officials, experts, and business leaders is in China for the start of the Summit Valor Econômico Brazil-China 2025, kicking off tomorrow (April 22) in Shanghai. Organized by Valor Econômico in partnership with the Brazilian Center for International Relations (Cebri) and Caixin Media, the event aims to spotlight investment and cooperation opportunities across key sectors of the economy.
The opening session will feature Maria Fernanda Delmas, editor-in-chief of Valor Econômico; Frederic Kachar, CEO of Editora Globo and Sistema Globo de Rádio (SGR); Marcos Caramuru, Cebri board member and former Brazilian ambassador to China; Zhang Lihui, president of Caixin Media; Hua Zhong, deputy director-general of the National Development and Reform Commission’s Foreign Capital and Overseas Investment Department (NDRC); Shen Xin, vice-president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC); Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank (NDB) and former president of Brazil; Alexandre Silveira, Brazil’s minister of Mines and Energy; and Marcos Galvão, Brazil’s ambassador to China.
A panel on smart cities will bring together Ricardo Nunes, mayor of São Paulo; Jesse Efraim Silva Guimarães, vice-president of the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce (BraCham); Zhang Jianyu, deputy head of research at the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED); Elias Marco Khalil Jabbour, president of Rio de Janeiro’s Pereira Passos Institute; Chen Weiqiang, deputy mayor of Hangzhou; and Gu Haidong, deputy mayor of Suzhou. The session will be moderated by Alan Gripp, editor-in-chief of O Globo.
China’s economic dynamics and their strategic implications for Brazil’s mining and steel sectors will be discussed by Minister Alexandre Silveira; Daniel Abdo, director of International Relations at Sigma Lithium; Tracy Xie, CEO of Vale China; Liu Jianfeng, chief investment officer at CMOC; Liu Qiang, climate director at CIFF; and Joe Zhao, strategy director at Yongfeng Group. Pedro Dias Leite, editorial director at CBN, will moderate the panel.
The energy transition panel will bring together Minister Silveira and experts including Jorge Arbache, economics professor at the University of Brasília, Valor Econômico columnist, and advisor to the Climate and Society Institute (ICS); Victor Zhang, chief energy specialist at Huawei Digital Power; Liu Dehua, executive director of the China-Brazil Energy Center at Tsinghua University; Sun Tao, chairman of State Grid Brazil Holding; Li Yinsheng, president of China Three Gorges International; and Li Sisheng, vice-president of Powerchina International Group.
Agribusiness, a cornerstone of Brazil-China relations, will be the focus of two sessions. The first includes Larissa Wachholz, head of the China program at Cebri; Pablo Gimenez Machado, Asia president of Suzano; Fu Wenge, professor at China Agricultural University; Fernanda Maciel, deputy director of International Relations at CNA-Senar; Guo Junping, assistant director at COFCO Group; and Liu Zhiyong, CEO of CITIC Agriculture.
The second session will address global food security and feature Bruno Machado Ferla, vice-president at BRF; Victor Kengo, engineering director at Portos do Paraná; Yao Jun, CEO of Changrong Group; Gao Guan, vice-president of the China Meat Association (CMA); and Lin Di, sustainable development director at Mengniu Dairy.
Investment opportunities in Brazil will be discussed by Claudio Castro, governor of Rio de Janeiro; Rui Gomes, president of Invest São Paulo; and Victor Queiroz, head of ApexBrasil’s office in China.
Financial cooperation to drive sustainable growth will be addressed by Li Zengxin, executive deputy director at Caixin Global; Marcos Caramuru; Nelson Barbosa, planning director at the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES); Zhao Genrong, vice-president of the Grandview Institution; Chen Weidong, director-general at the Bank of China Research Institute; and Ben Shenglin, dean of the International Business School at Zhejiang University.
The summit will conclude with a panel on the reinvention of the automotive industry featuring Valor journalist Marli Olmos; Alexandre Baldy, vice-president of BYD; Liu Xiaoshi, vice secretary-general of EV100; Rodrigo Zeidan, professor at NYU Shanghai and Fundação Dom Cabral; Zhu Xichan, professor at Tongji University; and Li Fang, director at the World Resources Institute (WRI).
The summit is sponsored by BRF and Marfrig (master sponsors); Cedae, ApexBrasil, Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, Rio de Janeiro City Hall, CNA/Senar, BYD, and Huawei; and supported by Eletromidia, Vale, CNI, the São Paulo state government, Portos do Paraná, Suzano, São Paulo City Hall, and FIESP.
Source: Valor International