China and Uruguay have signed a dozen cooperation agreements in areas such as science, technology, and trade following a meeting between Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing.
The two countries moved to deepen their strategic partnership despite pressure from United States President Donald Trump to keep Chinese influence out of Latin America.
According to a Chinese readout of the meeting, Xi spoke to the Uruguayan leader about the need to promote a “multipolar world and inclusive economic globalisation” while working together for “common development” as they deepen their “comprehensive strategic partnership.”
Xi noted that the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, the international situation is volatile and turbulent, and unilateral bullying practices are growing more rampant.
Xi stated that China supports Uruguay in assuming the rotating Chair of the Group of 77 and China, and stands ready to work with Uruguay to strengthen solidarity and cooperation across the Global South, jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, move forward together in pursuit of common development, and make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
He added that China attaches high importance to its relations with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), supports LAC countries in safeguarding their sovereignty, security and development interests, and supports Uruguay in assuming the rotating chair of both the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States(CELAC) and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR).
He added that China stands ready to work with Uruguay and other regional countries to further deepen and substantiate the joint initiative of building a China-LAC community with a shared future.
On his part, Orsi said that China is an important cooperation partner of Uruguay, and has provided selfless assistance for Uruguay’s economic and social development.
He asserted that growing relations with China is now Uruguay’s state policy, gaining unanimous support from all political parties and across the society.
“Uruguay firmly supports the one-China principle and supports the policy of One Country, Two Systems. Uruguay aspires to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership with China and bring bilateral cooperation to a higher level. The two sides should strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, science and technology, poverty alleviation, green economy, and digital economy, and promote people-to-people exchanges in education, sports, tourism, and other fields in order to inject stronger momentum into Uruguay-China relations and deliver greater benefits to the two peoples.”
Yamandu Orsi
He added that Uruguay commends the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity proposed by President Xi Jinping.
Additionally, Orsi said in a post on social media that Uruguay is “pursuing an active international engagement, strengthening long-term ties, and creating new opportunities for the country’s development.”
Orsi To Visit Shanghai
Orsi’s seven-day trip to China began on Sunday and will next take him to Shanghai. A 150-person delegation, including business leaders and other government officials, is accompanying the President.
His trip is being closely watched as he becomes the first Latin American leader to visit China since US special forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a bloody night raid on Caracas in early January.
China is a top export market for Uruguayan exports such as beef, soya bean and dairy, which were valued at $3.49bn last year, according to information released on Orsi’s Facebook account. Uruguay also imported $2.8bn in goods from China last year.
Orsi is not the only leader willing to reach out to China regardless of upsetting Washington. The Uruguayan leader’s trip follows recent visits by United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and French President Emmanuel Macron.
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