Amid growing diplomatic tensions with the United States, the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sent new signals of rapprochement with China in the field of defense. The recent statement by the Special Advisor to the Presidency, Celso Amorim, confirming Brazil’s willingness to strengthen military cooperation with Beijing, constitutes a move that directly challenges Washington’s historic centrality in South American defense policy.
During his visit to Beijing, Amorim attended the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. There he stated that Brazil is open to expanding military ties with the Asian country. The decision to send generals as military attachés to the Brazilian embassy in China—a practice until now reserved exclusively for the United States—symbolizes a significant shift in Brazil’s defense diplomacy.
For the presidential advisor, cooperation with China represents a natural evolution of a bilateral relationship already consolidated in the commercial, financial, and technological fields, and further reinforced within the BRICS framework. This step is interpreted as a strategic bet to diversify alliances and reduce dependence on Washington in sensitive security and defense matters.
The turn toward Beijing must also be understood in light of the deterioration of relations with the U.S. The Trump administration imposed tariffs that affected Brazilian exports, and more recently, the White House adopted measures that Lula described as “politically motivated.” At the same time, the Brazilian Armed Forces expressed concern over the potential suspension of key projects linked to the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
That uncertainty was partially eased on September 3, when the U.S. Army awarded Javelin Joint Venture—formed by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon—a contract worth up to $900.5 million for the production of FGM-148F anti-tank missiles. The deal includes the units purchased by Brazil, making the country the first South American operator of this system, considered essential for strengthening infantry combat capability against armored vehicles.
Nevertheless, bilateral tensions resurfaced with recent developments in the Caribbean Sea. There, the United States maintains an unprecedented military deployment near Venezuela. The guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70), equipped with the AEGIS system, and the Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN-750) were recently added to the U.S. Navy fleet in the region. The presence of the latter caused particular concern in Brasília. Amorim warned that the militarization of the region “does not help dialogue with Latin America” and denounced the risks posed by the introduction of submarines with nuclear armament in nearby waters.
The scenario became even more complex following the cancellation of the latest edition of the Formosa military exercise with the United States. The move was interpreted as a sign of cooling in bilateral cooperation and contrasted with the landmark 2024 edition, when Chinese Navy troops participated alongside the U.S. Marine Corps in drills on Brazilian soil—an unprecedented event since Washington excluded Beijing from RIMPAC in 2016.
Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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