The Brazilian government is very optimistic about the future of its relationship with China and hopes to achieve new advances at an upcoming meeting between the two countries' heads of state, a senior Brazilian diplomat says.

Brazil and China have shared many common goals in their cooperation in such fields as politics, economy, and science and technology, Francisco Mauro Brasil de Holanda, director of the East Asia Department in the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Holanda said his government is looking forward to the upcoming meeting between Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, as the two countries commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"It was a period of very significant achievements. Brazil and China became more important to each other and were called to play a broader role in the great international matters. There were advances in quantity and quality in the bilateral agenda," he said.

"When one follows the path Brazil and China took from 1974 to now, he can see not only that they became more important to each other, but that both became more important to the world," he added.

The ambassador said that last April, Brazil and China held a meeting between their Foreign Ministries, the first since the two countries decided to lift their relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012.

The new status acknowledges the "growing dimension and importance of the multilateral aspect of the relations between the two countries," and stipulates that the foreign ministries of both countries will hold annual meetings in each other's capital cities in an alternating manner, he said.

Holanda said that during Xi's state visit to Brazil, the South American nation hopes to discuss its cooperation with China in science and technology particularly, adding that the two countries have already forged a partnership on a satellite program.

In addition, Brazil is expected to close a deal for the sale of 40 aircraft made by plane manufacturer Embraer, and increase the number of companies allowed to export pork, beef and chicken to China.

China has been Brazil's largest trade partner since 2009, and Brazil is China's eighth largest partner. Holanda said that as trade between the two countries has reached "extraordinary" levels, Brazil hopes there can be a quality boost in that field.

He said some 80 percent of Brazil's exports to China are primary products such as food and oil, while most imports from China are manufactured goods.

"We are not against the exports of primary products, absolutely. We would like the composition of our exports to be more balanced because the more diverse the exports, the less a country suffers with shifts in the economic cycle," the ambassador said.

According to Holanda, Brazil is working hard to diversify its exports and identify new potential markets in China.

"One of the consequences of the urbanization process is a growing interest of the Chinese population for services, fashion, tourism, publishing products and audiovisual goods, which are areas in which Brazil has a lot to offer," he said.

Holanda voiced the belief that the meeting between Rousseff and Xi would represent a new chapter in bilateral relations.

"We are very optimistic on the future of the Brazil-China relations. We believe that the two countries will have more important roles in the international scenario, and we are confident that we can help each other in several fields," said the Brazilian diplomat.