President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s visit to Japan marks a significant moment in the resumption of the Brazilian international agenda, according to the general coordinator of the International Strategy Analysis Group on Defense, Security and Intelligence at the University of São Paulo (DSI-USP), Alberto Pfeifer.
The Brazilian president, amid a thorny geopolitical scenario and commercial restrictions, especially in the United States.
This is the fifth time Lula visits Japan. Pfeifer evaluates the agenda as positive, and highlights the historical and strategic importance of relations between the two countries.
“Japan, a traditional partner in Brazil, shares deep ties that go back to Japanese immigration in 1908. It is a very rich and very positive relationship. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese community outside Japan, and ties between the two countries cover investments, technological cooperation and cultural exchange,” he explains.
For Pfeifer, the visit occurs at a time when Japan occupies a secondary position in the international order, with China emerging as the leading actor in the Asia Pacific region.
“In this scenario, the deepening of relations with Japan can represent a strategy of diversification of international partnerships in Brazil,” he says.
Pfeifer notes that this approach can be beneficial, especially considering the current global context, in which the United States adopts more unilateral postures and China exerts increasing influence.
However, he warns of a significant challenge about a possible negotiation of a trade agreement between Brazil and Japan. “Any agreement with Japan goes through the dimension of Mercosur,” he says.
Mercosur Challenges
The DSI-USP coordinator also highlights the complexity of the relationship between Brazil and Argentina, especially considering the current political scenario with Lula and Argentine President Javier Milei, as challenges for commercial agreements.
“A dMercosur’s immension, todayis weakenedcombedin which the central relationship Brazil and argentina, easy-mileiit is a relationship that did not have a construction suitable for To allow the development of common agendas, ”he says.
Despite the challenges, there are positive expectations about possible advances in the bilateral relationship between Brazil and Japan. Pfeifer suggests that this visit may not only strengthen ties between the two countries, but also potentially “redown mercosur.”
“Lula’s visit to Japan, therefore, represents not only an opportunity to strengthen ties with a historical partner, but also a test for Brazil’s ability to navigate diplomatic and economic complexities in the current international scenario,” he concludes.
