SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil and China are poised to take their trade in agricultural goods and other products “to new levels” amid an escalation of global trade wars, China’s ambassador to Brazil Li Jinzhang said during an agribusiness conference in São Paulo on Monday.

Calling for a “long-lasting relationship” that should be based on trust, the ambassador said the two countries need to take advantage of multilateral mechanisms such as the World Trade Organization to strengthen trade ties. “Sino-Brazil relations began with agriculture some 200 years ago when tea farmers from China visited Rio de Janeiro,” he said.