Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has postponed his trip to China next week as head of state on medical advice, according to a statement released by the Brazilian government on Saturday.
“Following medical advice, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has decided to postpone his trip to China. The postponement has already been communicated to the Chinese authorities with the repeated desire to reschedule the visit,” said the Press Secretary of the presidency of the Republic of Brazil.
According to the medical bulletin included in the same statement, “President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was admitted to Sirio-Libanês Hospital – Brasília Unit on 3/23/23 with flu-like symptoms. After clinical evaluation, he was diagnosed with bacterial and viral bronchopneumonia due to influenza A, and treatment has been started.”
“Following today’s reassessment and despite the clinical improvement, the Medical Service of the Presidency of the Republic recommends postponing travel to China until the cycle of viral transmission is over,” he concluded.
According to the local ‘media’, the president’s doctors advised him to stay in the country until the end of the viral infection, because of the distance, the length of the journey to China and also because Lula da Silva is 77 years old and there is a chance worsening of the clinical picture due to age.
The agenda for Lula da Silva’s visit to China, Brazil’s main trading partner, had already been changed due to a diagnosis of mild pneumonia.
Initially, Lula da Silva was scheduled to fly to Beijing today and have official commitments from Monday, but the Brazilian government announced on Friday the decision to postpone the flight, now canceled, to Sunday to preserve the health of the progressive leader.
The postponement of the Brazilian ruler’s state visit frustrates a large delegation from the South American country, which is said to consist of some 300 people, including politicians, members of the government and businessmen, many from the agribusiness sector. sector, interested in strengthening ties in the Asian country.
China has been Brazil’s largest trading partner since 2009 and one of the main sources of investment in Brazilian territory. In 2022, the trade flow between the two countries will reach a record $150.5 billion (139.4 billion euros).
Before returning to Brazil, Lula da Silva planned to make a short stop in the United Arab Emirates, where he would carry out a schedule of meetings on March 31. The Brazilian government has not yet communicated whether the pledges in the United Arab Emirates have been cancelled.
Source: DN
