Xin Xiangyang, Dean of the Academy of Marxism, Leads a Delegation to Brazil and Peru for Academic Exchanges

From April 16 to 24, 2025, a five-member delegation led by Xin Xiangyang, Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies at 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 Researchers Liu Xukuan, Liu Zhichang, and Liu Ailing, and Associate Researcher Lou Yu from the Institute of Marxism Studies. During the visit, the delegation received a friendly reception from the Communist Party of Brazil and the Communist Party of Peru, and engaged in in-depth exchanges and held several candid academic symposia with the Communist Parties of both countries, as well as multiple academic research institutions and think tanks. 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 of Brazil and Peru, as well as with their respective academic research institutions and think tanks.

I. Intensive Academic Exchanges

In Rio de Janeiro, the delegation first visited 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 hosted discussions with the delegation on a series of topics regarding democratic politics and the rule of law, including China's whole-process people’s democracy, the comprehensive construction of a socialist state under the rule of law, and social governance.

In Lima, the delegation held a symposium with the Communist Party of Peru (Unity) [PCP-U]. Participants included Domingo Cabrera Toro, General Secretary of the PCP-U, along with eight members of the Central Committee including Marcelino Pauca and Ricardo Parlotti, and Oliver Barrientos, Secretary of the National Secretariat of the Communist Youth of Peru. Representatives of the PCP-U shared their insights and expressed gratitude to China's 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, the great achievements of China in the New Era, and the great efforts made by the CPC to strengthen international cooperation and safeguard a new international political and economic order.

The delegation also visited the Institute of Public Policy (IPP) in Lima and held a symposium with its experts. Established in 2012, its members are primarily left-wing scholars focusing on public policy research and providing policy advice to the Peruvian government and relevant departments. Ten representatives from the Peruvian side attended, including IPP Director Ricardo Lopez Risso. The Peruvian experts emphasized that the CPC’s effectiveness in governance, the achievements of Chinese-path modernization, and its great successes in economy and technological innovation are worthy of Peru’s study. Peru consistently regards China as a banner, benchmark, and model for development.

The delegation also held a symposium with Alberto Moreno Rojas, President of the Communist Party of Peru (Red Fatherland) [PCP-PR], and Arturo Ayala, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Secretary for International Relations. Moreno first visited China in December 1966, traveling for several months and participating in many exchanges, where he had the honor of meeting Chairman Mao. He spoke with high praise of 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 deeply impressive." He added, "The speed with 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 CPC’s achievements are the best possible inspiration for us."

Furthermore, the delegation met with Meng Kexin, Editor-in-Chief of the Peruvian newspaper La Gaceta (Gongyan Bao) and Peruvian representative of China Today magazine, to learn about the lives and work of the Chinese diaspora in Peru and his contributions to promoting Sino-Peruvian cultural exchange.

During this trip, the delegation also signed a letter of intent for cooperation with the Mauricio Grabois Foundation. This foundation is one of the most important think tanks under the Communist Party of Brazil, chaired by Walter Sorrentino, Vice President of the party. The foundation encompasses the National Political Training School of the Communist Party of Brazil, the academic journal Princípios, and the Documentation and Memory Center of the Communist Party of Brazil. Walter Sorrentino noted that given the signing of the letter of intent between the two institutions, he holds high expectations for this meeting and requested that the delegation 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, Editor-in-Chief of the international section of "Brasil 247," has visited Chinese academic institutions and participated in Chinese academic activities on numerous occasions. In recent years, he has published many 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" ^[1] nations 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 public to the government, and from the Communist Parties to national think tanks, there is a strong demand in Peru to strengthen multifaceted cooperation with China. Lima is a city friendly to China, home to 5,000 Chinese restaurants, and the Chinese diaspora enjoys a good social status in Peru. As the delegation was walking through a street to a meeting, a Lima police officer caught up and friendlily stopped us, asking to take a commemorative photo. He repeatedly spoke the name of Chinese President Xi Jinping, his respect for the Chinese leader was palpable.

China, Brazil, and Peru are all emerging economies and developing nations with high degree of 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 bilateral trade reaching $39.758 billion in 2024. In particular, the completion and operation of the Port of Chancay—as the 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 serves as a milestone for South America’s outreach to the Asia-Pacific.

Personnel from both Brazil and Peru expressed a high level of willingness to further strengthen economic cooperation and trade ties with China. It is hoped that through academic exchanges and trade, further impetus will be given to Sino-Brazilian and Sino-Peruvian economic cooperation and exchange, promoting trade and investment facilitation and diversification, strengthening cooperation in fields such as transportation and energy, and deepening cooperation in the green economy and technological innovation.

In the face of 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 Sino-Latin American 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 high attention to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, speak with high praise of the great achievements of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and have an urgent desire and need to further strengthen ties with the CPC and theoretical and academic exchanges with institutions like CASS.

Looking ahead, it is necessary to further improve multi-level inter-party dialogue mechanisms, strengthen cooperation between political parties and related academic institutions, and enhance the joint training of youth and talent to cultivate a new generation of "China experts" who understand and are friendly toward China. Furthermore, Sino-Brazilian and Sino-Peruvian cultural exchanges should be advanced. China, Brazil, and Peru possess rich historical and cultural heritage and diverse modern cultural forms. China is one of the four recognized ancient civilizations, while Peru is often called the "fifth ancient civilization." Although positive progress has been made in recent years in arts performances, educational cooperation, and tourism, there remains significant room to improve the depth, breadth, and innovativeness of cultural exchange. Future efforts should focus on building multi-level cultural exchange mechanisms, deepening educational cooperation, innovating cooperation in the arts and cultural heritage, and promoting cultural tourism exchanges.