Rio de Janeiro scenic view File photo: VCG

At a coffee grower support center in Brazil, staff members are leveraging Chinese technical expertise to implement end-to-end supply chain quality control, from a single coffee bean to a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The initiative aims to extend standardized management all the way to the cultivation stage, ensuring quality control for premium coffee beans begins at the origin.

The center was launched under a major agreement between Chinese coffee chain operator Luckin Coffee and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency during the G20 Summit held in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro in November 2024. At the same time, Luckin also launched a high-quality coffee plantation base in Brazil, according to a news release that the company sent to the Global Times on Thursday.

Through long-term procurement contracts, the company has established an efficient supply chain system linking Latin American farms with its stores in China, completing a closed-loop production process.

This system is enabled not merely by commercial collaboration but by deep integration between China and Brazil across agriculture and industry. A "coffee bean" is not only fuel a trillion-yuan industry but also embodying the win-win spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and BRICS cooperation among developing nations.

Data from Brazil's Coffee Exporters Council shows that in 2023-24, Brazil's coffee exports to China surged 186.1 percent year-on-year, the highest growth rate globally. Overall Brazilian coffee exports also hit a record high, up 32.7 percent from the previous year, People.cn reported in May.

Globalization reformed

The upcoming 17th BRICS Summit, set to open on Sunday, a high-profile event is expected to further elevate such industrial synergy to new heights and accelerate a fresh chapter in Global South collaboration and next-generation globalization, analysts said.

On Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry (FM) announced that Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 17th BRICS Summit upon invitation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from July 5 to 8.

FM spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing that "The BRICS cooperation mechanism offers the most important platform for the solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries in the world."  She emphasized that it's an important force for realizing an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

The deepening China-Brazil economic ties exemplify this "beneficial and inclusive" vision, with growing industry integration. "China's growing coffee industry and expanding consumer market are poised to generate more opportunities for Brazilian agriculture and serve as a new engine for the next 'golden 50 years' of China-Brazil relations," per the release from Luckin Coffee.

Beyond traditional consumer sectors, BRICS cooperation is gaining new momentum in emerging industries. On June 29, a BRICS Industrial Project Matchmaking event in Beijing saw the signing of 12 deals worth over 30 billion yuan ($4.1 billion), spanning sci-tech funds, new materials, smart healthcare and innovation parks, as reported by China Media Group.

With substantial investment volumes and high levels of cooperation, these deals are to inject strong momentum into innovation under both the BRICS framework and the BRI, the report said.

This collaboration builds on recent milestones. In May, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited China with a high-level delegation, during which the two nations signed 20 cooperation documents covering areas such as development strategy alignment, science and technology, agriculture, digital economy, finance, inspection and quarantine and media, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"The BRICS nations have significantly deepened economic and trade cooperation, supported by evolving institutional mechanisms and multilateral initiatives such as the China-proposed BRI," said J. Renato Peneluppi Jr., a Brazilian scholar specializing in energy transition and director of Brazilian citizens council in Beijing.

Through expanded cooperation mechanisms, such as Mercosur integration, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement and potential joint reinsurance, BRICS enhances economic resilience against external shocks, Peneluppi told the Global Times on Thursday.

"Amid a sluggish global recovery and rising US protectionism, BRICS countries, with their growth potential and rising consumption, are well-positioned to forge self-reliant cooperation," said Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the Forum 50 for Digital-Real Economies Integration.

Hu told the Global Times that developing nations are at a critical industrial upgrade phase. China's infrastructure support, digital technology exports and joint ventures could help these countries harness technological revolutions for shared progress, he added.

Peneluppi shared a similar view, noting that "BRICS has major potential for leadership in the green and digital transitions." With countries like China and Brazil making rapid strides in renewable energy, BRICS can become a driver of sustainable innovation.

"We hope that the upcoming summit will advance initiatives like the New Development Bank, technology transfer and trade expansion, strengthening resilience to global financial risks and reducing reliance on single market," Peneluppi added.

Bridges across borders

On January 6, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry announced the official entry of Indonesia as a full member into BRICS, marking the group's first expansion since Brazil assumed the rotating presidency for 2025.

"Platforms such as BRICS, the G77, ASEAN and other multilateral mechanisms enable countries of the Global South to co-create solutions, rather than just adopt externally defined ones," said Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun. A powerful example is the New Development Bank, which demonstrates that development financing can address real-world needs while remaining economically sustainable, he noted.

"Multilateralism must be inclusive and equitable, especially in today's fragmented world…This is the only way they become legitimate and serve the common good," Oratmangun told the Global Times in a recent interview.

Indonesia is also a key partner in the BRI and has achieved notable trade outcomes with China under the initiative in recent years. In an interview with the People's Daily, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arsjad Rasjid said the BRI is vibrant, inclusive and sustainable, driving regional trade and economic growth supporting partner countries in advancing their modernization.

"From renewable energy to clean mobility, the support of BRI partners that bring scale, speed, and long-term investment is critical. These have supported our efforts to build an EV ecosystem, hydropower development and industrial decarbonization," Oratmangun said.

Under this expanded partnership, the coffee supply chain connects not only China and South America, but also intertwines with Southeast Asia's lush tropical farms and growing consumer markets.

On March 13, Luckin Coffee signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia's Banggai Islands Regency to establish an agricultural center, marking another milestone in building a high-quality industrial chain and exemplifying BRI industrial synergy and BRICS economic cooperation. 

The company also plans to collaborate with its partners to establish a local agricultural cultivation center, offering technical support. It aims to create a virtuous cycle of industrial investment and improved livelihoods to support sustainable development in the region, the company said.

Deepening cooperation is further evidenced by the growth in bilateral trade. Customs data shows that in the first three quarters of 2024, China's trade with other BRICS members reached 4.62 trillion yuan, up 5.1 percent year-on-year.

China looks forward to working with all parties to consolidate the BRICS strategic partnership, make due contributions to safeguarding multilateralism, promoting common development and improving global governance, and advance the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, the spokesperson Mao said at Wednesday's press briefing.