Former Brazilian President and head of the New Development Bank, Dilma Rousseff, receives the Friendship Medal, the highest Chinese honor

Brasil de Fato

On Sunday morning (29) in the Chinese capital, Beijing, the president of the New Development Bank (NDB), Brazilian economist Dilma Rousseff, received the Friendship Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Chinese state. Rousseff is the second Latin American to receive the medal, after former Cuban president Raúl Castro.

The honor was created in 2016 and is awarded to those who make outstanding contributions to China’s socialist modernization by promoting exchanges and boosting cooperation between the Asian giant and foreign countries. Rousseff was the 12th foreigner to receive the medal. Russian President Vladimir Putin was the first foreigner to be awarded, in 2018. Earlier this year, a similar recognition awarded to foreign experts, the Chinese Government Friendship Award, was presented to Evandro de Carvalho Menezes, a professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation Law School, and José Raimundo Coelho, former president of the Brazilian Space Agency.

Rousseff spoke during the ceremony in the Great Hall of the People, the building used for sessions of the National People’s Assembly, welcoming of presidents, among other ceremonies and activities. She praised both the Chinese government and President Xi Jinping – whom she called a “true champion of international cooperation and a strong advocate of multilateralism” – for their governance and contributions to global development.

“China’s commitment to reform and opening up has not only lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty but has also contributed significantly to global economic growth and stability,” she told an audience of several of China’s top leaders, military personnel, students and representatives from various fields.

In his speech at the end of the ceremony, Xi Jinping praised the Brazilian former president. “Over the past 75 years, there have been many old and good friends in the world who share the same aspirations and stand along with the Chinese people in good times and bad; Ms. Dilma Rousseff (…) is an outstanding representative among them.”

“The Chinese people will never forget those friends who have made extraordinary contributions to China’s development and the friendship between the Chinese people and the people of other countries,” concluded the Chinese president.

Rousseff was the only foreigner honored in this round of awards. Four people received the Medal of the Republic, and ten others received national honorary titles.

The honorees ranged from military personnel to scientists, plus cultural and health workers. At 93, Huang Zongde was the oldest of the recipients. He participated in everything from the revolution that triumphed in 1949 – known in China as the War of Liberation – to the resistance against US aggression in Korea during the Cold War.

Brazil’s future on the Belt and Road

In the afternoon, the president held a press conference for the Brazilian media. On the possibility of Brazil joining China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Rousseff highlighted the advantages that the Chinese development cooperation proposal represents. She said the partnership for industrialization and technology transfer “is a great opportunity that the Belt and Road offers.”

“This is what I think is fundamental for Brazil,” she said, citing the cases of industrial and technological parks created in countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

As a second aspect of the initiative, she pointed out that it “doesn’t require exclusivity.” “You can partner with the Belt and Road and with as many others as you want,” explained Rousseff.

Another highlight is what the Chinese government calls a “win-win” situation: “That’s the first time we’ve seen a country with some international prominence proposing common development. It was usually proposed as a division of labor: I industrialize and you produce commodities.”

The future of the New Development Bank

The NDB has a very important feature: it is a bank made by and for emerging countries, said Dilma. She explained that sustainability is one of the main focuses of the organization, which officially proposes actions in six areas: clean energy and energy efficiency, transport infrastructure, water and sanitation, environmental protection, social infrastructure and digital infrastructure.

As an example of an investment involving China-Brazil cooperation, she mentioned a high-capacity organic waste processor for producing organic fertilizers.

Regarding the general outlook for the bank, Rousseff said the body is still under construction: “The bank has left its infancy and is entering adolescence.” “We have to take it one step at a time. We can’t think the bank will suddenly have the same status as decades-old multilateral banks.”

In the future, the bank will be based on three elements: a greater focus on infrastructure and sustainable development, industrialization and technology transfer. The second is expansion into Global South countries. And the third is the increasing financing of private sectors with local currency.