China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top investment worldwide: report

China pumped $6.1 billion into Brazil in 2025, a record high that made the South American giant Beijing's top global investment destination, according to a report by the China-Brazil Business Council (CBBC). The 45% surge from the previous year far outpaced the 4.8% rise in total foreign investment into Brazil and dwarfed China's worldwide outbound flows, which grew only 1.3%. Brazil now absorbs 10.9% of all Chinese overseas capital, surpassing the US at 6.8%. The number of projects hit 52, the highest ever, with significant diversification beyond traditional sectors.

The sector breakdown reveals a strategic shift. Mining investment more than tripled to $1.76 billion, including CMOC's $1 billion acquisition of gold mines from Canada's Equinox Gold. Chinese carmakers opened factories on sites vacated by Western automakers, while tech firms like Meituan's food delivery arm launched operations. Sustainability and green energy projects hit a record 31, accounting for 60% of all Chinese ventures in Brazil. CBBC research director Tulio Cariello noted that this diversification includes areas where China used to invest in the US, signaling a reorientation of Beijing's outbound capital amid geopolitical tensions.