Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao said Friday during his visit to China that Brazil hopes to connect its own development plans with China's Belt and Road Initiative, a Chinese diplomat told the Global Times on Friday. 

Meeting Mourao at the Great Hall of the People on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said relations between the two countries are at a crucial moment, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"China and Brazil should see each other as an opportunity for development and as partners," the report quoted Xi as saying. "China welcomes Brazil to join the Belt and Road Initiative." 

Mourao, who handed over a signed letter from President Jair Bolsonaro to Xi, noted that the Brazilian government regards China as a trustworthy and reliable comprehensive strategic partner. 

Mourao, who began his visit to China on Sunday, the first senior Brazilian official to do so since Bolsonaro took office, said Brazil should be practical to know the role China could play in helping improve Brazil's economy. 

Zhao Bentang, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, told the Global Times that China and Brazil are willing to strengthen political mutual trust.

He also noted that the two countries vowed to deepen cooperation on key areas such as trade investment, finance, infrastructure, energy, minerals and agriculture.

Zhao said the two countries have agreed to fight unilateralism and protectionism, and seek ­cooperation through international bodies, ­including the UN, BRICS and Group of 20.

Brazil will host this year's summit of the BRICS group of countries, composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Reuters reported earlier in May that soybean trading in Brazil has gained momentum in recent days, driven by a wave of Chinese demand since the trade friction between China and the US, with analysts saying Brazil has become a priority for China to replace US soybean imports. An estimated 5.5 million tons of soybeans are expected to leave Brazil in June, July and August, according to estimates issued by the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, the report said. 

Brazil is at the peak of its exports season, right after farmers finished collecting the country's second-largest crop in its history, estimated at over 114 million tons, according to government data.