Chinese Govt to Decide New Date for Brazil’s President visit, says Brazilian Agri Minister

"All government activities, including those of the Agriculture Ministry, have been postponed," Favaro, who arrived in China last week, said during a news conference in Beijing.

"The visit will undoubtedly be rescheduled when the Chinese government is ready, with an available time, and we will return to continue signing all memorandums and agreements."

The Brazilian government said on Saturday that leftist President Lula da Silva, who took office in January, had cancelled his high-profile March 27-31 trip to China due to bacterial and viral bronchopneumonia caused by influenza A. The visit, which included a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, was seen as a significant effort by the new president to improve relations with Brazil's largest trading partner, following a period of rocky relations under former President Jair Bolsonaro, who campaigned on anti-China rhetoric that persisted into his first years in office.

According to Favaro, the return of Lula to the presidency has created a more fraternal attitude, which "opens commercial potential."

He also noted that his journey to China had already had significant results, with Beijing sanctioning the restart of Brazilian beef imports and licencing additional plants. Brazilian officials voluntarily banned sales to China on February 23 following the discovery of an unusual case of mad cow disease.

According to the ministry, agreements between Brazilian and Chinese enterprises will be disclosed on March 29. Some 240 Brazilian business leaders were initially expected in China, with more than a third coming from Brazil's agricultural sector, which exports the majority of its cattle, soybeans, and wood pulp to China.