China and Uruguay Deepen Ties with Focus on Trade, Tech, and Shared Global Vision
BEIJING – China and Uruguay are significantly expanding their economic and strategic partnership, with a recent flurry of agreements and high-level meetings signaling a deepening commitment to cooperation across multiple sectors. The strengthened relationship comes as Uruguay seeks to diversify its international partnerships and China aims to foster a more multipolar world order.
Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi concluded a seven-day state visit to China on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, marking the 38th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The visit, the first by a Latin American leader to China this year, followed visits from leaders of Ireland, South Korea, Canada, Finland, and Britain.
During talks with President Xi Jinping, Orsi and his delegation – comprising around 150 individuals including prominent business leaders – explored opportunities in areas ranging from traditional trade to emerging technologies. Both leaders emphasized the importance of aligning development strategies and boosting cooperation in key sectors such as economy and trade, finance, agriculture and animal husbandry, infrastructure construction, and information and communications technology.
“China and Uruguay should strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and deepen cooperation in areas such as economy and trade,” President Xi stated, according to Xinhua News Agency. He also highlighted the potential for collaboration in green development, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and clean energy, envisioning these areas as drivers of economic growth and transformation.
A key focus of the discussions was expanding trade, particularly in agricultural products. Gastón Scayola Piedra Cueva, president of the National Meat Institute (INAC) of Uruguay, noted the significant potential of the Chinese market for Uruguayan meat products. “The Chinese market is large, growing fast and has great regional diversity, which allows Uruguay to offer more high-quality meat products for Chinese consumers, thus releasing more dynamism to promote economic and commercial cooperation between both countries,” Scayola said during the China-Uruguay Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum held in Beijing.
The forum, organized by the Chinese Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Uruguay XXI, brought together over 230 officials and business representatives from both countries. Participants discussed expanding economic and commercial development opportunities, particularly in agri-food products, technological innovation, and the digital economy.
Mariana Ferreira, executive director of Uruguay XXI, emphasized the significance of the forum coinciding with President Orsi’s state visit. Representatives from approximately 80 Uruguayan companies and institutions presented potential areas for cooperation, spanning agriculture, logistics, manufacturing, energy, and tourism.
Currently, China is Uruguay’s largest trading partner, and bilateral trade has experienced rapid growth since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023. Uruguayan wine, beef, and dairy products are increasingly available to Chinese consumers, while Chinese products like automobiles, household appliances, and daily necessities are gaining popularity in Uruguay.
Technological innovation is also emerging as a crucial area of collaboration. The China-Uruguay Joint Bionanopharmacy Laboratory was inaugurated in 2025, and the China-Uruguay Technology Transfer Center began operations the same year. A branch of the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Food Innovation Center has also been established in Uruguay.
President Orsi expressed admiration for China’s advancements in technological innovation, stating that Uruguay could learn from China’s experience as it seeks to strengthen its own innovation capabilities. “I have observed China’s extraordinary successes in technological innovation and other aspects and believed that for Uruguay one of the directions of development in the future lies in strengthening innovation,” he reportedly said.
Liu Jiannan, vice president of CCPIT, encouraged Chinese companies to explore investment opportunities in Uruguay, particularly in infrastructure development, clean energy, and the application of technology to agriculture and livestock. He also welcomed Uruguayan companies to invest and develop businesses in China, participating in China’s modernization and high-quality development.
The meetings and agreements reached during President Orsi’s visit reflect a shared commitment to an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, as highlighted in a joint declaration signed by both countries. Participants at the forum agreed that the complementary strengths of China and Uruguay – in resources, technology, capital, and economic models – create broad prospects for investment cooperation.
