Will Lula be able to juggle East and West?

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s long-awaited visit to China last week was one of the most important moments of his presidency so far, for both economic and geopolitical reasons. 

From Brazil’s perspective, it reflected Lula’s insistence on doubling down on independence in global affairs. Responding to concerns that he might be tilting his country decidedly toward Beijing and away from Washington, Lula insisted that there was no reason for his trip to China to cause friction with the U.S. 

“When I talk to the U.S.,” he told the press on his last day in China, “I don’t worry about what China will think of my conversation with the U.S. I’m discussing the sovereign interests of my country. When I come to China, I’m also not worried about what the U.S. thinks about my talks with China.” 

Many commentators seem intent on urging Lula to choose sides in the emerging cold war between Washington and Beijing. To its credit, however, the Biden administration is not doing so — at least not publicly. That is positive.

China is Brazil’s largest trading partner, and Lula hopes to deepen those ties even further. Trade is almost always good, and more trade is even better. Another major goal of this visit was to increase Chinese investment in Brazilian infrastructure.

The Brazilian economy is not in a calamitous state, but it isn’t very strong at the moment. Chinese funding could help Brazil modernize its ports, airports, highway systems, and other transportation networks. A heavy hand from Washington could legitimately be seen in Brazil as an attempt to deprive Latin America’s largest nation of crucial infrastructure investment. The Biden administration seems...