Brazilian Vice-president Hamilton Mourão has described China as a strategic partner of his country, rather than a strategic threat, Folha de São Paulo reports.

The Brazilian newspaper quotes Mr Mourão as saying in an interview published on Saturday that China is a “strong trading partner,” and has money to invest which Brazil could make good use of.

“China wants our products, while we need railways, ports and highways to ease the transport of those products,” Mr Mourão said. “That is the grand exchange we have to make.”

The Brazilian government has no intention of forbidding any investment in Brazil by Chinese telecommunications equipment company Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, however hard the United States presses it to do so, Folha de São Paulo quotes the vice-president as saying.