It’s China’s hope that economic support and soft power will translate to political backing, a strategy that Beijing has used in Africa as well. In fact, Xi’s speech to the Brazilian National Congress focused more on political partnership than on economic cooperation. Xi invited Brazil to share in a new “security concept,” echoing his previous speech on a new security concept at CICA. He also called for more cooperation between China and Brazil on international issues, including upholding each other’s “sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.”