Pneumonia forces Lula to cancel China trip

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has canceled his trip to China due to his ongoing treatment for pneumonia and influenza, his press office said Saturday.

The diagnosis was made on Thursday, and although Lula initially postponed his departure by one day (to Sunday), he has now decided to cancel the entire trip on the advice of his doctors. “Despite the clinical improvement, the president’s medical service recommends postponing the trip to China until the cycle of viral transmission ends,” said his doctor, Ana Helena Germoglio.

“He’s taking intravenous antibiotics. It’s one thing to stay put, another to take a 30-hour flight,” one of the doctors accompanying the 77-year-old president told reporters.

Lula’s delegation to Beijing would include more than 240 business owners, cabinet ministers, and lawmakers. More than 20 agreements between the two nations will be signed, including ones on agriculture, science, culture, education, and innovation. The trip would also include a Brazil-China business event focused on...