A Chinese delegation visited Brazil with the intention of consolidating infrastructure projects, including the Central Bioceanic Railway Corridor, which aims to unite Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the ports of Santos and Chancay, according to SCMP.

According to La República, the project, which is expected to have an initial investment of US$3.500 billion from Beijing, is part of the strategic agreements signed between the leaders of both countries, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Xi Jinping, in 2023, when South American integration with the Pacific was established as one of the bilateral priorities. In this regard, 11 officials from the State Railway Group and the Ministry of Transport of Brazil toured four Brazilian states to study the feasibility of the mega-railway project.

The core of the China-Brazil collaboration focuses on the creation of a railway connecting Brazil's most productive agricultural region with the port of Chancay, enabling direct exports of crops such as soybeans, sugar, and corn to the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, more than 90% of Brazilian exports are transported via Atlantic routes, which significantly increases logistics times and costs.

The reactivation of the Bioceanic Corridor responds to a logic of logistics development in Brazil that seeks to modernize its infrastructure. According to Villaverde, "physical integration is mature." The Pacific Highway, for example, already allows commercial vehicles to cross from Rondônia to Lima, although it still requires paving improvements. With the new railway, this network would become a continuous logistics corridor.

China and Brazil strengthen ties 

Meanwhile, in São Paulo, the delegation visited the Port of Santos, where the Chinese state-owned company COFCO International is investing US$486 million to expand a 98.000 m² port terminal. It is estimated to handle 14,5 million tons of agricultural products annually once operational in 2026.

In addition, COFCO acquired 979 wagons and 23 locomotives to optimize domestic grain transportation and reduce traffic congestion.