Visiting Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva Tuesday morning inaugurated the Brazilian Cultural Center at Beijing University and delivered a speech urging to boost bilateral cultural and academic exchanges with China.

Lula addressed the inauguration ceremony that as the first cultural center set up by Brazil in a top Asian university, the Brazilian cultural center in Beijing University mainly serves those students who want to know Brazil and learn Portuguese.

Lula voiced his hopes that the center may help more Chinese students better understand Brazil's economic, political and cultural background, and thus improve Brazil-China cooperation in the fields of culture, education and science.

Lula then delivered a speech at the university after the ceremony, in which he introduced Brazil's foreign policy in the 21st century and the role of Brazil-China strategic partnership.

Brazil and China will celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2004, and his current visit just proves the Brazilian government's determination to strengthen and solidify the Brazil-China strategic partnership established 10 years ago, he said.

He said in his speech that the Brazilian government is always working for a further fair and democratic world order, and is unwilling to see any improper economic and trade ties that do harm to the developing countries.

Lula advocated the international community to pay attention to the problem of hunger and poverty and its influence, calling on all countries to take efforts to solve the problems by establishing new developing concepts and developing global trade.

The Brazil-China strategic partnership was established on close economic and trade connections between the two countries, he said, which will further promote the concordant economic development of the two countries.

He said the two countries will make joint efforts to solve the issues blocking bilateral trade process and expand cooperation in the areas of software and energy-especially petroleum and uranium and science and technology.

Lula expressed his belief that China's vigorous economy will offer unexpected business opportunities not only for Brazil, but also for the progress of the South-South economic and trade cooperation.

Xu Zhihong, president of Beijing University, said his university has conducted long-time friendly exchanges with Brazilian colleges, and signed relevant agreements on bilateral academic exchanges with two top Brazilian universities.

He expressed his belief that with the support of President Lulaand Brazilian people in all walks of life, the exchanges and cooperation between Beijing University and the Brazilian education circle will surely be strengthened and the university's study on Brazil will also make great progress.

In the afternoon, Lula and his party left Beijing for Shanghai to continue his China's visit.

Source: Xinhua