Could BYD’s modern slavery scandal affect relations between Brazil and China?
BYD, in turn, immediately terminated the contract with the service provider. The factory project is currently on hold.
Project is part of Sino-Brazilian commercial relations
An official from the Chinese group suspected that foreign forces wanted to defame Chinese brands and harm good relations between China and Brazil.
BYD promised to invest US$1 billion in this factory, the electric car brand’s first in the Americas. The group has already spent millions of dollars on marketing to publicize its name, and this is the type of case that could damage the company’s image.
Furthermore, there is the diplomatic aspect, as China is Brazil’s main trading partner. Relations between presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Xi Jinping are good, to the point that the Brazilian president uses a BYD vehicle for his trips.
