Brazil is stepping up cooperation with Chinese technology companies as it moves to strengthen its artificial intelligence infrastructure and develop greater domestic control over advanced computing.

Under a 2.3 billion-real (US$444.2 million) investment programme, 1.3 billion reais (US$251 million) will support a new supercomputing project in Rio de Janeiro involving Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and AI company iFlytek.

The facility will focus on developing large language models for general and sector-specific applications, helping Brazil build domestic AI capabilities while reducing reliance on a single foreign technology provider.

The project forms part of Brazil’s broader strategy to diversify its technological partnerships. The country is also planning a separate 1 billion-real supercomputer in Rio Grande do Norte, with US chipmaker Nvidia expected to supply the technology.

Cooperation with China is scheduled to begin in July 2027, alongside longer-term plans to develop national cloud computing and trustworthy AI capabilities.