Revista Tempo do Mundo (Apr 2023)
SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION BETWEEN BRAZIL AND CHINA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE INITIATIVES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Abstract
The cooperation between Brazil and China dates from 1980 and is inserted in the South-South cooperation scope. However, the literature observes a transformation of this cooperative modality in the crisis of international relations – as evidenced by the impact of covid-19 pandemic – and the domestic challenges faced by developing countries. This raises the question of whether there is increasingly a gray area between South-South and North-South cooperation, and whether there is any likelihood of a reversal of this low cooperative profile between states. In this context, the paper seeks to analyze Brazil-China cooperation in science, technology and innovation (STI), observing the nuances of the previous and subsequent period of the covid-19 pandemic. Has there been a reduction in this cooperation in the contemporary scenario? How has the pandemic impacted this process? To answer these questions, this research is based on a bibliographic and documental review, as well as official websites of the cooperative initiatives and the Brazilian organizations involved in the bilateral interaction. We conclude that the biggest leaps in bilateral STI relations occurred at the end of the first decade of the 21st century and at the beginning of the second, with a subsequent reduction in cooperative intensity, although relations remained active. Furthermore, we note a transition in strategic terms and that, during the pandemic, new bonds were established, as well as dialogues for the renewal of the existing cooperation. Under the current administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, recent international acts have been signed and there has been a strengthening of the partnership, especially in the space area, demonstrating a boost in South-South cooperation in STI between Brazil and China.
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