context: Brazil-China ties have been strained since the COVID-19 outbreak. Education Minister Abraham Weintraub suggested the pandemic was linked to Beijing’s ‘plan for world domination’. Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta complained Brazil’s orders of ventilators and other vital health supplies from China had been cancelled without explanation. President Jair Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo has criticised the Chinese ‘dictatorship’ for its handling of the outbreak and has used the phrase ‘Chinese virus’.
On 5 Apr 2020, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy to Brazil issued a statement in reaction to Brazilian Education Minister Abraham Weintraub’s public vilification of China on social media.
- On 5 April, Weintraub publicly vilified China on social media for
- linking the origin of COVID-19 to China
- making premeditated remarks that were absurd, shameful and racist
- having ulterior motives
- having a negative impact on Sino-Brazilian relations
- China then voiced strong indignation and resolute opposition, pointing out
- no country can meet the global challenge on its own
- international anti-epidemic cooperation is the priority
- WHO and international community oppose linking the virus to any specific nation
- we urge the few individuals who have done so to correct their mistakes, stop their baseless attacks on China
- several Brazilian media personnel and politicians have made irresponsible remarks on China
- China’s consul-general in Rio de Janeiro Li Yang has mounted counterattacks by publishing two articles in mainstream Brazilian media