Il Nuovo Postiglione - Former Brazil president Dilma Roussef hospitalized in China

The 77-year-old economist, who now heads a bank established by the BRICS bloc of developing economies, "is responding well to treatment" and should be released in a few days, said a statement from her team.

Rousseff was admitted to the Shanghai East International Medical Center on February 21 "due to a case of vestibular neuritis," an inflammation of the nerve that controls balance.

She has continued to work, added the statement.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva named Rousseff to lead the Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) in 2023.

Rousseff became Brazil's first female president in 2010 after being anointed by Lula who had served two consecutive terms and could not run again.

She was impeached during her second term in 2016 for breaking budget laws.

Lula helped bring her back in from the political wildnerness with her appointment to head the NDB, which was formed in 2014 by BRICS members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Brazil this year holds the rotating presidency of BRICS, and will host a summit for member nations in Rio de Janeiro in July.

The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

D.Ricci--INP