Economic Benefactor or Risky Dependence? China-Brazilian Agribusiness Ties

• In Event: China and Global Public Opinion

Abstract

The economic relationship between China and Brazil has deepened considerably in recent years, even as anti-China sentiment has risen. Scholars increasingly ask: has China’s strengthened presence generated affinity or enmity for China among host country politicians, elite stakeholders and the public? How do host country actors perceive economic benefits offered by economic ties with China when other aspects of the relationship - such as political affinity - are negative? We examine answers to these questions in the context of the agribusiness sector ties between Brazil and China. Brazil has very strong agribusiness ties with China, the foundation for a large trade surplus with China. At the same time, the main agricultural exporters and their representatives in the government are tied to strong anti-China constituencies. Many of these constituencies, too, have a close historical relationship with the U.S., and often look to the American political and cultural models as their benchmark. Preliminary findings from elite interviews suggest that pragmatism dominates ideology among right-wing agribusiness elites in Brazil. We seek to support this finding with public opinion data from a unique survey on agricultural ties between the two countries.

Authors

• Pedro Abelin, University of Maryland

• Margaret M. Pearson, University of Maryland