SHANGHAI, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's achievements toward economic, social, cultural and political modernization over the past 75 years are unprecedented in history, said Dilma Rousseff, former Brazilian president.
During a ceremony held Sunday in Beijing, 15 individuals were awarded China's national medals and national honorary titles. Rousseff was the recipient of the Friendship Medal.
Rousseff said she feels proud and pleased to receive the medal.
Over the past 75 years, China has become the second-largest economy in the world, lifted a large number of people out of poverty and managed to raise the educational level of its people, said Rousseff.
"China's reform and opening up never ends," said Rousseff, adding that China provides a model to the Global South for economic, political and social development.
She said China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity is an innovative idea for global governance, which emphasizes cooperation and industrialization.
Since 2009, China has become Brazil's largest trading partner and a major source of investment, while Brazil has become China's largest trading partner in Latin America. Chinese customs data have shown that the trade volume between China and Brazil reached 181.53 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, with Brazil becoming the first Latin American country to surpass 100 billion dollars in exports to China.
Rousseff said she is proud to have contributed to the bilateral relationship. She recalled that when she was Brazilian president, Brazil worked with China and other countries to create the NDB, which finances infrastructure and promotes sustainable development.
Rousseff said the Belt and Road Initiative is a partnership based on mutual benefits, which encompasses infrastructure, science, technology, green development and cultural exchange, and there is also a greater presence of China in Brazil.
She said she is committed to helping ensure that the relationship between Brazil and China continues throughout this century and beyond through friendship, cooperation and mutual benefits. ■