Brazilian Vice-president Hamilton Mourão has said his country is interested in joining the Chinese Belt and Road programme, O Globo reports.

The Brazilian newspaper quotes Mr Mourão as saying so in Beijing at the beginning of a 10-day official visit to China.

Mr Mourão said of the Belt and Road initiative: “We have been eagerly following what it is becoming, and we are open to infrastructure investment proposals.”

The report says Mr Mourão will re-activate the China-Brazil Bilateral Co-operation Commission on Thursday, and that the vice-president will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to deliver a message from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Mr Bolsonaro is due to visit China this year, while Mr Xi is due to visit Brazil for the meeting in November of the heads of government of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) bloc, O Globo says.