Rousseff invites Chinese to Olympics on Weibo social network

President Dilma Rousseff posted a video on China's Weibo social networking website—which looks somewhere in between Twitter and Facebook—inviting the Chinese to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. On the video, the president noted China hosted the 2008 games, so the Chinese know the importance of the competition for those who welcome athletes and fans from all over the world.

The president went on to say that Brazil took on the challenge of hosting the Olympics with a sense of “responsibility and pride.”

“We are working night and day to ensure the games are a success both in and out of competition arenas. Here, you will be able to experience the joy and feel the energy of Brazilian people. Our country is looking forward to welcoming Chinese athletes and fans with open arms,” Rousseff said in Portuguese with Mandarin subtitles.

In 2012, UK Prime Minister David Cameron also created a profile on the same social network in the context of the London Games.

Rousseff created her profile following a meeting with Weibo CEO Chao Guowei at Palácio do Planalto. She will be using it to talk about other issues including trade and tourism. BRICS, a multilateral association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will also be among the topics.

According to its founders, Weibo is one of the largest interactive social media platforms in China and worldwide, with 600 million Chinese users and 400 million active users a month.

Translated by Mayra Borges