BRASILIA - Chinese Ambassador Qiu Xiaoqi said on Monday that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's upcoming visit to Beijing will actively promote China-Brazil relations.

Speaking at a press conference, Qiu said both sides view each other as important strategic partners, and both are playing increasingly important roles in international affairs.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff displays Brazil's Olympic team jacket during a visit to the Brazilian Olympic committee headquarters, when she was campaigning for president, in Rio de Janeiro, in this August 2, 2010 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Rousseff, who took office on January 1, will pay a state visit to China in April.

She will also attend the third summit of the emerging countries known as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the Boao Forum for Asia in South China's Hainan province.

The ambassador said China-Brazil ties have seen a stable and rapid development in recent years in areas such as politics, economy and trade.

China has been Brazil's biggest trade partner since 2009, with bilateral trade exceeding $56 billion in 2010. In that year, China also became Brazil's largest investor and the second largest importer of Brazilian goods.

The two countries share identical or similar positions on many international issues, which made it possible to reach common ground at various international meetings of the United Nations, the Group of 20, and the UN Climate Change Conferences, Qiu said.

On March 3, Chinese Premier Wen met with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota in Beijing, vowing joint efforts with Brazil's new leadership to promote their strategic partnership.