China's rise to the role of global economic and political power has been at the center of recent academic and political debates. In this paper we analyze the impact that this has had on Brazil. We look at bi-lateral trade and standards of cyclical convergence for the two economies, considering a broader analysis of the foreign competitiveness of the Brazilian economy. On this basis, we seek to map out the impact that China's rise to the position of global power may have on Brazil. We place emphasis on economic dimensions, international trade in particular. Our premises conceive of the process of growth and internationalization of the Chinese economy as generating a stimulus capable of influencing the potentials of Brazilian development over the next few decades. Our arguments fall into three sections: (i) an attempt at presenting a panoramic view of Chinese ascendance, against the backdrop of the dynamics of "major divergence"; (ii) an overview of the current situation of the Chinese economy; (iii) analysis of the effects of its increasing internationalization on the world economy, with emphasis on the specific cases of South America and Brazil. We conclude by exploring some of the normative implications of our results.
Brazil; China; World Trade; Business Cycles
