His visit caps a diplomatic blitz across South America that has shown Beijing's growing clout in the region where it filled a gap left by the U.S. presidential transition.

China and Brazil have sought to position themselves as leaders of the Global South at a time of great global uncertainty

China’s President Xi Jinping state visit to Brasilia, Brazil Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Brasilia caps a diplomatic blitz across South America that has shown Beijing's growing clout in the region and at global forums where it filled a gap left by the U.