In order to recover from pneumonia, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, has postponed his journey to China and crucial meetings with President Xi Jinping indefinitely, according to the presidential palace.
The 77-year-old left-wing leader was identified as having “bacterial and viral bronchopneumonia due to influenza A” after being hospitalised in the nation’s capital, Brasilia, with flu-like symptoms.
Despite improvements, Lula’s health was reevaluated on Saturday, and he was told to “postpone the trip to China until the cycle of viral transmission ends,” according to the statement.
According to the palace, the government has notified the Chinese authorities of Lula’s wish to reschedule the visit.
Lula, who took over as president from the far-right Jair Bolsonaro at the beginning of the year, had planned to use the journey the following week to reclaim his nation’s place in international diplomacy. It was anticipated that the conflict in Ukraine and the strengthening of trade would be the main topics of discussion in Beijing.
After a break during which he spent an additional year and a half in prison on corruption convictions that were later overturned, Lula narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in October’s election to earn an unprecedented third presidential term.
The six-day trip to China, Brazil’s biggest trading partner, was seen as crucial for Lula just three months into his most recent term as president. He has already toured Argentina and the United States.
During his two tenure as president from 2003 to 2010, Lula increased Brazil’s ties with China and visited Beijing twice.
This is a change from Bolsonaro’s foreign policy, who didn’t seem particularly interested in world affairs or travelling overseas.
The president was supposed to be accompanied by a group that included ministers, senators, lawmakers, and hundreds of businesspeople.
In recent years, there have been concerns about Lula’s health.
Lula underwent surgery to have a vocal chord lesion removed in November.
The president received a throat cancer diagnosis in 2011, not long after he had departed office. Following therapy, he entered remission.
