China's Agricultural Cooperation with Brazil and Malaysia: Achievements, Potential and Challenges

Recently, a geopolitical and global strategy scholar published two commentaries on the website of a European magazine. The articles are titled "Seeds of Cooperation: How Malaysia and China Secure Future Food Supplies Together" and "Tasting Cooperation: Brazil and China Sharing Opportunities through Food Agreements". The author reviewed the cooperation achievements between China and Malaysia, as well as China and Brazil, in the field of agricultural product trade in recent years. It was pointed out that China's continuous deepening of foreign food cooperation has not only significantly promoted the development of the agricultural industries of itself and its trading partners, but also greatly enhanced the ability to resist risks, which is conducive to all parties working together to build a more resilient global agricultural future.

The agricultural trade cooperation is deeply intertwined. The author pointed out in the articles that agriculture is a key industry in China, Brazil and Malaysia. In 2023, the added - value of China's agriculture (and related industries) accounted for 15.34% of the country's GDP. In the same year, the figures for Brazil and Malaysia were 6.24% and 6.4% respectively, highlighting the importance of agriculture to the economic development of the three countries.

She said that in recent years, China's economic and trade cooperation with Brazil and Malaysia has continued to deepen, and agricultural product trade has become a key engine to promote bilateral relations. Since 2009, China has been Brazil's largest trading partner. In 2023, the bilateral trade volume between China and Brazil reached $181.53 billion, and Brazil's agricultural exports to China hit a new record. In 2024, the proportion of agricultural product trade between China and Brazil in the total bilateral trade volume reached a new high. The main agricultural products exported by Brazil to China include soybeans, meat, sugar, corn and coffee beans. Meanwhile, China exports a large number of core agricultural materials such as fertilizers and pesticides to Brazil, which are crucial for Brazil's agricultural production.

In Malaysia, the bilateral trade volume between China and Malaysia reached $212.04 billion in 2024, and agricultural products played a key role. The economic and trade cooperation between China and Malaysia is mutually beneficial and win - win. The two countries' agricultural industries are interdependent, supplying each other with rich and complementary food crops. The author emphasized that this reflects the importance of establishing stable and mutually beneficial trade relations for ensuring the food security of the two countries.

More cooperation potential remains to be released. The author believes that there is still great potential for agricultural cooperation between China and Brazil. Brazil has vast land resources and continuously improving agricultural technology, while China excels in fine - grained agricultural management and has a well - established agricultural supply chain. The deepening cooperation between the two countries is expected to further accelerate agricultural growth and enhance industrial resilience. She mentioned that China has shown great interest in investing in Brazil's agricultural sector. In 2024, during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Brazil for the G20 Leaders' Summit, China and Brazil signed a series of new agreements, clearly stipulating the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements for Brazilian products exported to China and approving the export of some new categories of agricultural products to China. In addition, as the world's largest coffee producer, Brazil's cooperation with Chinese domestic coffee brands is constantly expanding, and business ties are becoming closer.

When talking about Malaysia, the author said that 2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. Taking this as an opportunity, the two sides reached many new consensuses on strengthening cooperation in the fields of agriculture and food security, and bilateral relations reached another milestone. She believes that the relevant achievements may reshape the food security landscape of the two countries and create opportunities for cooperation in food supply mutual assistance between China and Malaysia.

Opportunities coexist with challenges. Although the agricultural cooperation between China and Brazil, as well as China and Malaysia, shows a positive trend, the author also issued a warning in the articles. She pointed out that current agricultural product trade among countries is facing severe challenges such as intensifying geopolitical tensions, fluctuations in global commodity prices and supply chain disruptions. The global climate crisis has also had a direct and huge impact on agricultural development. Strengthening international cooperation and promoting the diversification of agricultural product exports are very necessary for ensuring food security. She cited an example that China's import demand has largely shaped Brazil's agricultural product structure. Brazil should seize the opportunities brought by the new trade agreements with China, reduce its dependence on a few commodities, develop a more diversified agricultural export strategy, increase production capacity, expand cooperation comprehensively and become a core participant in the global market. She also suggested that China and Malaysia should continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of agricultural innovation and food security, set an example for regional agricultural industrial cooperation and contribute to the self - sufficient agricultural future of the two countries.