Monica Fang, chairman of LIDE China, said in Salvador, Bahia, on Aug 7 that the companies in Brazil and China should have more direct communications for potential cooperations as a major compliment for the ties between the governments. [Zhang Fan / China Daily]

It is important for companies in Brazil and China to have direct communication as a way to further economic ties between the two nations, said Monica Fang, chairman of LIDE China.

Fang, also the president of Brazil-China Economic and Commercial Exchange Centre, made the comments on Aug 7 at the conference of Introduction of China, held by LIDE in Salvador, Brazil, as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil.

LIDE, founded in Brazil in 2003, is an organization for business leaders with 12 offices across the world including the United States, China and European countries.

About 80 representatives of local companies participated in the meeting. "Companies in (state of) Bahia are very interested in China and we received eager feedback from them," said Mario Dantas, director of Construtora NM, based in Salvador and also the president of LIDE Bahia.

"Through this conference, we hope to share more Chinese economic and commercial information with local Brazilian companies and both sides can take this meeting as a platform to communicate about the potential opportunities and practical problems they can address," said Fang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping just finished a tour of Latin America in July. During his state visit to Brazil, the two countries signed about 56 cooperation agreements involving areas that range from energy to infrastructure construction.

About 100 Chinese companies have built branch offices in Brazil, mostly in large cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Though Brazil is becoming a more important market for Chinese companies, different legal systems especially the tax system and different cultural background remain to be challenges for them.

"The relationship between China and Brazil has entered the best stage in the history with major potentials to be discovered. The companies of both countries should take this historical opportunity to enhance their friendship and cooperation," said Mi Na, chief representative of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

The state of Bahia, located in the eastern part of Brazil, is the fourth most populous state of the country. Its capital city, Salvador, was also the first capital of Brazil.

Bahia relies mostly on its agricultural and wind power industries. It is now one of the major states in Brazil for wind power and has several of largest companies in this sector including Gamesa, Acciona Energy and Torrebras.

"Bahia has the advantage in the wind-power industry and we have several companies here in Bahia which is exploring the potential in cooperation with China," said Dantas.

Ricardo Galvao, executive director of Toves in Bahia, a major Brazilian system supplier from human resources to supply chain solutions, said it is very important for Bahia to enhance the economic communication with other countries, especially in China.

"All the Brazilian people know that China is a great market and we need to get closer ties with this country. We hope to take this chance to develop more potential cooperation with Chinese companies through LIDE China," said Galvao.

Many Chinese company representatives also participated the meeting, including Xie Dongbo, general manager of Gree Electric Appliances in Brazil. The company is now the world's largest enterprise that specializes in air-conditioning facilities.

"It is very necessary to hold such meetings for our companies," said Xie. "It can help us to deepen the mutual understanding, broaden our views and develop more cooperation in a more direct way."

fanzhang@chinadailyusa.com