Reporter’s Notebook: Between Myth and Market — Brazil’s Evolving Impressions of China
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Old magazines from the 1980s introducing China sit on a bookshelf in a library in São Paulo, showing young Chinese people smiling brightly on a beach. Photo: Zhao Xuan/Caixin
To most Brazilians, China is a distant and unfamiliar land, some 20,000 kilometers away, marked by vast cultural and social differences. As a result, Chinese society is often viewed through a romanticized and exotic lens.
“I don’t know much about China,” said a young hotel worker in São Paulo who had never left the city. “I think the countryside is very mysterious, while the big cities seem advanced and futuristic.”
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- Many Brazilians view China as distant and exotic, with limited and often outdated public information contributing to misunderstandings.
- Economic and cultural exchanges are increasing, though language and cultural differences—especially around family and emotional expression—persist.
- Brazil’s Chinese diaspora exceeds 300,000, but deeper familiarity remains limited compared to the well-established Japanese Brazilian community.
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Who’s Who
- Embraer
- Embraer is a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer. It established its first overseas base in 2003 through a partnership with Harbin Aircraft Industry Group. This highlights Brazil's strong industrial foundation.
- Harbin Aircraft Industry Group
- Harbin Aircraft Industry Group is a Chinese firm that partnered with Embraer, an aircraft manufacturer from Brazil, in 2003. This collaboration led to Embraer establishing its first overseas base, indicating a significant international partnership for both companies.
- Shanghai Volkswagen
- Shanghai Volkswagen partnered with Brazilian companies to develop the Santana 2000, which debuted in 1991. The original Volkswagen Santana, the first joint-venture vehicle produced in China, was tested in countries like Brazil before its release in the Chinese market.
- AliExpress
- AliExpress is an online marketplace whose convenience is praised by a ride-hailing driver in Belém, Brazil. The platform appears to be one way Brazilians are increasingly interacting with Chinese online commerce.
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