Flavio Bolsonaro says he would work with China and US as Brazil’s president

Flavio Bolsonaro says he would work with China and US as Brazil’s president

As leader, Bolsonaro would assume control of an economy that is heavily dependent on China – by far Brazil’s largest trading partner

Flavio Bolsonaro said he would work with the US and China if he becomes Brazil’s president, after a surprise election performance left him poised to join a wave of conservative leaders pushing Latin America closer to Washington.

Bolsonaro finished ahead of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by about two points in Sunday’s first-round election, a result that sparked a surge in Brazilian assets due to investor views that he is more likely to pursue market-friendly financial policies.

Bolsonaro would take 52 per cent to Lula’s 48 per cent of valid votes, excluding blank and invalid ballots, in the October 25 run-off, a Datafolha poll released on Thursday evening showed. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. Bolsonaro outperformed Datafolha’s final poll of the first round by about five points.