Premier Li Keqiang met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on May 19 local time and proposed increasing China’s industrial investment in Brazil and called for more cooperation between the two countries.

In remarks during a meeting at the presidential palace in Brasilia, Premier Li said further cooperation between China and Brazil will improve lives in both countries and contribute greatly to the world’s economic recovery because the two are the biggest developing countries and major economies in the eastern and western part of the globe.

In addition to capacity cooperation agreements to be signed by China and Brazil, Premier Li proposed expanding industrial investment cooperation in areas like railways, mining, electricity and equipment manufacturing.

He said he would like to see substantial progress on the Twin Ocean Railroad Connection project, the rail link from Brazil’s Atlantic coast to Peru’s Pacific coast. He also called for more cooperation on clean energy and agriculture, as well as in oil and gas discovery, petrochemical equipment, shipping, trade and investment between the two nations.

Chinese enterprises should increase their investments in Brazil and share their experience and technology, Premier Li said.

He also encouraged financial institutions of the two countries to make settlements in local currencies to further deepen cooperation.

The Premier also urged both countries to expand people-to-people exchanges in areas such as technology, culture, education and tourism.

Li stressed that China wants to work with Brazil to advance their comprehensive cooperation partnership, and further enhance strategic coordination within the framework of the United Nations, G20, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), and BASIC countries (China, India, Brazil and South Africa) to safeguard the unity and interests of developing countries and promote world peace, development and prosperity.

Rousseff warmly welcomed Premier Li and thanked him for choosing Brazil as the first stop of his Latin America tour, saying that his visit marks an important time in the Brazil-China comprehensive strategic partnership.

She said that concerted efforts have moved Brazil-China ties forward and boosted cooperation between Latin America and China.

To strengthen the friendship, she said Brazil hopes to expand and deepen cooperation with China on infrastructure construction, finance, agriculture, energy and aviation.

Rousseff said Brazil also wants to join China in capacity cooperation and construction of the rail link between Brazil and Peru to make Sino-Brazilian cooperation an example between emerging markets.

She expressed the hope that the joint action plan signed by the two sides will bring the bilateral ties and cooperation to a new level.

Brazil wants to further maintain close communication and coordination with China on major international and regional issues to protect the interests of developing countries, Rousseff said.

After the meeting, Li and Rousseff signed a joint action plan and witnessed the signing of 35 agreements in capacity, infrastructure construction, finance, aviation, agriculture, new energy, telecommunication, science and technology.

The two sides released a joint statement between the governments of China and Brazil and a joint statement on climate change.

Before the talks, Rousseff held a welcoming ceremony for Premier Li at the square in front of the presidential residence where flags of the two countries were raised. Premier Li inspected the Brazilian honor guard and a military band played the national anthems of China and Brazil.

Later on May 19, Premier Li and his wife Cheng Hong visited a local factory that provides vocational training for the poor.