Two “under-the-radar” stories for rising powers took place this weekend.
1.) (this one is more prominent) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the White House on Saturday. The visit was amicable and jovial at times and is a good omen for positive US-Brazil relations.
2.) (not in the headlines) China and Iran signed a $3.2 billion natural gas deal. The move not only indicates China’s ravenous appetite for energy, it also indicates the limits of the US-sponsored sanctions on Iran.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva and US President Obama in Washington. Credit: AFP.