The presidents of China and Brazil pledged to expand bilateral trade and investment in energy, space, aviation, infrastructure, agriculture and other areas on Tuesday.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Chinese President Hu Jintao signed a joint pledge to continue rapid bilateral trade growth.

The document said both sides expected to establish a partnership in infrastructure construction for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, both scheduled to be hosted by Brazil.

It said they should expand bilateral investment in high-technology industries, cars, energy, mining and logistics.

State television quoted Hu as saying the two nations should also expand cooperation in the fields of culture, education, public health, social security and poverty alleviation.

Hu identified agriculture, renewable energy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology and space as other areas for wider cooperation.

The presidents committed the two nations to strengthen cooperation between financial institutions and promote investment by Brazilian and Chinese companies.

Before the talks and the signing ceremony, Hu hosted a state welcome ceremony for Rousseff at Beijing's great Hall of the People.

Rousseff earlier urged Chinese rail firms to bid for a planned 500-kilometre, high-speed rail link from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, which is forecast to cost some 20 billion dollars.

Speaking at a seminar in Beijing, she said Brazil would prioritise scientific and technological cooperation with China.

Some 70 seminar delegates discussed topics including renewable energy, nanotechnology, food security and space technology.

Several other bilateral agreements were expected to be signed during Rousseff's six-day visit, which began on Monday.

She and Hu are scheduled to join their Russian, Indian and South African counterparts on Thursday at the third leaders' summit of the BRICS developing powers bloc in the southern resort of Sanya.

Before Rousseff's visit, Brazilian Ambassador to China Clodoaldo Hugueney told state media that his country wanted more cooperation with China in the exploration of Brazil's offshore oil reserves.

China had been Brazil's biggest trade partner and foreign investor since 2009, with bilateral trade valued at more than 56 billion dollars last year, according to Chinese statistics.

Source: M&G