Brazil's President in China for talks cementing partnership, securing 13 deals

Lula da Silva was welcomed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and a 21-gun military salute at Tian'anmen Square, festooned with the national flags of China and Brazil. Following an honor guard reception at the square, Hu and Lula da Silva talked for an hour in the Great Hall of the People. "The two leaders reached wide consensus on deepening bilateral strategic partnership and decided to start to formulate a Joint Action Plan," said the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after the talks. Lula da Silva said the Joint Action Plan "will lay the new foundations to an expanded cooperation for 2010-2014." Hu and Lula da Silva witnessed the signing of 13 cooperative agreements in oil, equipment, financing, loan, science, space, law, port, agricultural products, among others. On the oil front, China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and Brazilian Oil Corporation signed a contract on crude oil trade and a memorandum of understanding. China Development Bank also signed an agreement on loaning 10 billion U.S. dollar to Brazilian Oil Corporation. China Development Bank and Brazilian Development Bank agreed on a framework deal of 800 million U.S. dollars credit extension loan; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version