President Xi Jinping and his Brazilian counterpart, President Michel Temer, held a bilateral meeting ahead of the BRICS Summit, and were present at the signing of important projects in the electricity sector.

State Grid Corporation signed an agreement to build the second phase of the ultra-high-voltage direct current transmission project associated with the Belo Monte hydropower plant.

And China National Nuclear Corp signed a memorandum of understanding with Eletronuclear, a leading nuclear power company in Brazil.

Other areas covered by co-operation agreements signed in Beijing on 1 September include e-commerce, tourism, finance and sports.

President Xi met Temer at the Great Hall of the People, before Temer travelled to Xiamen, Fujian province, to attend the 9th BRICS Summit, which opened on 3 September.

Also present in Xiamen for the Summit were President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The latter has been a fierce critic of China’s Belt & Road initiative, which India views as leading to a loss of sovereignty of countries that get involved.

Leaders from five other emerging markets also attended the Summit; Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, Tajikistan and Thailand.

China has been attempting to build up a so called “BRICS Plus”, with a wider circle of developing countries.

"BRICS is not a closed club," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters ahead of the Summit, adding that the BRICS Plus idea put forward by China this year has been welcomed by many countries.

The BRICS Summit in 2018 is likely to take place in South Africa.