Xin Xiangyang, President of the Academy of Marxism, Leads a Delegation to Brazil and Peru for Academic Exchanges
From April 16 to 24, 2025, a five-person delegation led by Xin Xiangyang, Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), visited Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil, and Lima, the capital of Peru. The delegation members included Research Fellows Liu Xukuan, Liu Zhichang, and Liu Ailing, as well as Associate Research Fellow Lou Yu from the Institute of Marxism Studies. During the visit, the delegation received a friendly reception from the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) and the Peruvian Communist Party (PCP), [1] held in-depth exchanges with the Communist Parties of both countries as well as several academic research institutions and think tanks, and conducted multiple sessions of candid academic exchange. The delegation also signed letters of intent for cooperation with relevant Brazilian institutions, laying a solid foundation for further strengthening cooperation between CASS, Chinese academic institutions, and the Communist Parties, academic research institutions, and think tanks of Brazil and Peru.
(Photo: The delegation with scholars from Brazil and Peru)
I. Intensive Academic Exchanges
In Rio de Janeiro, the delegation first visited the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and held a symposium with Fernanda Pimentel, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Eder Fernandes Monica, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law. Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Niterói, UFF served as a forum where the delegation and foreign experts discussed a series of topics on democratic politics and the rule of law, including China's whole-process people's democracy, the comprehensive construction of a socialist country under the rule of law, and social governance.
In Lima, the delegation held a symposium with the Peruvian Communist Party (PCP-Unity). [2] Attendees included Domingo Cabrera Toro, General Secretary of the PCP-Unity, along with eight members of the Central Committee, including Marcelino Pauca and Ricardo Pallotti, and Olivie Barrientos, Secretary of the National Secretariat of the Communist Youth of Peru. The representatives of the PCP-Unity shared their insights and expressed their gratitude to Chinese national leader President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China (CPC) for the opening of the Port of Chancay. Delegation leader Xin Xiangyang introduced the basic profile of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS, China's great achievements in the New Era, and the great efforts made by the CPC to strengthen international cooperation and maintain a new international political and economic order.
(Photo: The delegation holding a symposium with the PCP-Unity in Lima)
The delegation visited the Institute of Public Policy (IPPP) in Lima and held a symposium with its experts. Established in 2012, the IPPP is primarily composed of left-wing scholars and focuses on public policy research and providing advisory recommendations to the Peruvian government and relevant departments. Ten people attended from the Peruvian side, including Ricardo Lopez Risso, Director of the IPPP. The Peruvian experts emphasized that the efficacy of the CPC's governance, the achievements of Chinese-path modernization, and the great progress made in the economy and technological innovation are worthy of study by Peru, noting that Peru has always regarded China as a banner, benchmark, and model for development.
(Photo: The delegation in a symposium with Director Ricardo Lopez and other scholars of the IPPP)
The delegation held a symposium with Alberto Moreno Rojas, Chairman of the Communist Party of Peru (Red Fatherland), [3] and Arturo Ayala, Secretary of International Relations and member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Peru (Red Fatherland). Moreno first visited China in December 1966, spending several months traveling and participating in various exchange activities, where he had the honor of meeting Chairman Mao. He spoke with high praise for the great progress of socialist China and expressed indignation at the tariff policies implemented by the United States. Recalling his many visits to China, Moreno remarked with emotion: "Every visit to China means a new discovery; China's changes and achievements are impressive." He added, "The speed at which China achieves results is astonishing." During the exchange, Moreno also lamented: "The CPC grew from just over 50 people to accomplish such a massive undertaking; why can’t we do the same? The achievements of the CPC are the best inspiration for us."
The delegation also met with Meng Kexin, Editor-in-Chief of the Peruvian newspaper Gongyanbao (Public Opinion) and representative of the Peru office of China Today magazine, to learn about the lives and work of ethnic Chinese in Peru and his contributions to promoting cultural exchange between Peru and China.
During the trip, the delegation also signed a letter of intent for cooperation with the Maurício Grabois Foundation (FMG). The FMG is one of the most important think tanks under the Communist Party of Brazil, chaired by Walter Sorrentino, Vice President of the PCdoB. The foundation oversees institutions such as the PCdoB National Political Training School, the academic journal Princípios, and the PCdoB Center for Historical Documentation. Walter Sorrentino noted that, given the signing of the letter of intent between the two institutions, he has high expectations for this meeting and asked the delegation to convey his regards to Dr. Gao Xiang, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The delegation visited the "Brasil 247" news website. José Reinaldo Carvalho is the editor-in-chief of the international section of "Brasil 247." Carvalho has visited Chinese academic institutions and participated in Chinese academic activities many times. In recent years, he has published numerous articles on "Brasil 247" and other media outlets to actively promote and introduce the achievements of contemporary China.
II. Observations and Reflections on the Visit
China and Brazil are respectively the largest Global South countries in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and maintains a massive volume of trade with China, with even greater space for future cooperation. From the grassroots to the government, and from the Communist Parties to national think tanks, there is a strong demand in Peru to strengthen multi-dimensional cooperation with China. Lima is a city friendly to China, home to 5,000 Chinese restaurants, and ethnic Chinese enjoy a high social status in Peru. As the delegation walked through a street to a scheduled meeting, a Lima police officer friendly stopped us to take a commemorative photo, repeatedly saying Chinese President Xi Jinping's name, with respect for the Chinese leader clearly evident.
China, Brazil, and Peru are all emerging economies and developing countries with high complementarity in resource endowments, industrial structures, and development strategies. In recent years, cooperation in trade, investment, and infrastructure has yielded significant results. China has been Peru's largest trading partner for ten consecutive years, with total trade volume reaching $39.758 billion in 2024. In particular, the completion and operation of the Port of Chancay—a new starting point for the "Inca Trail of the New Era"—has brought new hope to the Peruvian people and significantly shortened the trade route between China and South America. The Port of Chancay holds landmark significance for South America's outreach to the Asia-Pacific.
Personnel from both Brazil and Peru expressed a strong willingness to further strengthen economic cooperation and trade ties with China. It is expected that through academic exchanges and trade, economic cooperation and exchange between China-Brazil and China-Peru will be further promoted, facilitating trade and investment diversification while strengthening cooperation in fields such as transportation and energy, and deepening cooperation in the green economy and technological innovation.
Facing changes in the global governance system and new trends and challenges in regional development, strengthening inter-party cooperation and exchange is both an important lever for deepening China-Latin America relations and a practical path for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The Communist Party of Brazil and the Communist Party of Peru pay close attention to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, speak highly of the great achievements of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and have an urgent desire to further strengthen interaction with the CPC and theoretical and academic exchanges with institutions like CASS. Moving forward, it is necessary to further improve multi-level inter-party dialogue mechanisms, strengthen cooperation between parties and related academic institutions, and enhance joint training for youth and talent to cultivate a new generation of people who know and are friendly toward China.
Furthermore, there is a need to promote cultural exchanges between China, Brazil, and Peru. These nations possess rich historical and cultural heritage and diverse modern cultural forms, with abundant cultural tourism resources. China is recognized globally as one of the four great ancient civilizations, and Peru is often referred to as the "fifth great ancient civilization." In recent years, China-Brazil and China-Peru relations have made positive progress in arts performances, educational cooperation, and tourism, yet there remains significant room for improvement in the depth, breadth, and innovation of cultural exchange. In the future, it is necessary to build multi-layered cultural exchange mechanisms, deepen educational cooperation, innovate cooperation in the fields of art and cultural heritage, and promote exchange and cooperation in cultural tourism.
(Photos and text provided by Liu Xukuan and Liu Zhichang)