On the second day of his visit to Brazil, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Rio de Janeiro, the host city for the 2016 summer Olympics, where he announced billions of dollars' worth of financing and trade deals with Brazil. He encouraged the train and ship building companies to be pioneers in production capacity cooperation between China and Brazil, and also asked financial institutions to offer support.

Premier Li Keqiang takes a ride on the new subway Line 4 with Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando de Souza in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 20, 2015. The train is built by China's CNR Corp. [Photo: english.gov.cn]

There was a good reason behind Li’s photo-call on the subway: several of the underground trains in the city's public transport system were made in China. And Li announced the Chinese and the Brazilian governments are now talking about opening a factory in Brazil to build trains.

"The governments of the two countries came together and reached the agreement that we would like to build factories here in Rio de Janeiro, which will promote local employment and improve services for the local population," Li said.

Many in Rio are still digesting the flood of investment projects that have been revealed on this visit so far, ranging from a plan to link South America's Pacific and Atlantic coasts by rail, to Chinese investment in the Brazilian banking system.

Premier Li Keqiang takes a ride on the new subway Line 4 with Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando de Souza in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 20, 2015. The train is built by China's CNR Corp. [Photo: english.gov.cn]

Throughout, Brazil's President Rousseff and Li have been emphasizing one point: that this is about deepening the relationship between these two geographically distant countries beyond imports and exports.

The timing may well benefit both. Brazil's economy is close to recession, but the country needs infrastructure investment.

Meanwhile, China's slowdown means Chinese firms, such as the equipment manufacturers exhibiting in Rio, are actively seeking opportunities abroad.

And that wraps up Li's visit to Brazil. He is next on to Colombia, Peru, and Chile.

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