BRASILIA - China's better-than-expected economic growth is having a positive impact on Brazil's otherwise flagging economy, especially in the primary products sector, said a leading economist.

Jose Luiz Oreiro, professor of economics at the University of Brasilia, said he believes China's 6.9-percent GDP growth in the first half of 2017 has helped lift Brazil out of its economic doldrums.

"In the first quarter, the only sector that saw real growth in Brazil was agribusiness with a 13-percent increase," said Oreiro, adding that "steel also has reasonable prices due to China's growth, so China's added growth has been good news for the Brazilian economy."