Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for closer cooperation with Brazil, particularly in the area of railway infrastructure, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported. Mr Xi met his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff on Sunday, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Australia.

“Both sides should continue to work together to achieve more results in bilateral cooperation and promote trade facilitation and liberalisation,” Xinhua quoted Mr Xi as saying.

China will help Brazil to achieve “early progress in building freight rail, high-speed rail” including a transcontinental railway connecting Brazil and Peru, Xinhua said.

The idea of the Brazil-Peru railway, expecting to cost at least US$60 billion, was first brought up when Mr Xi met with the officials of the two South American countries in July.

The report quoted Ms Rousseff saying she “welcomes” China’s participation in building Brazil’s railway, adding that a task force for the Brazil-Peru railway will be set up soon.

Ms Rousseff said she “hopes to enhance cooperation with China in areas as oil and gas, new energy, satellite and information technology”.