Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, signing 19 cooperation agreements that deepen Uruguay’s ties with China.
The meeting is part of Orsi’s week-long official visit to China, which began on February 1 and runs through February 7. Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin said the delegation includes about 150 people, ranging from government officials to representatives from academia, labor unions, and community organizations.
Lubetkin noted that China has been Uruguay’s largest export destination since 2013, purchasing about $3.49 billion in Uruguayan goods in 2025.
Ahead of his meeting with Xi, Orsi attended several cultural and ceremonial events in Beijing. Uruguay’s presidency said he is the first Latin American leader to meet Xi in 2026 and the fifth world leader to do so this year, following meetings with Keir Starmer, Petteri Orpo, Mark Carney, and Micheál Martin.
Orsi said the visit fulfilled a key campaign pledge.
“My commitment was to make this visit happen in my first year in office, and we have kept our word,” he said. Orsi assumed office in March 2025.
According to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, Xi called for closer alignment between the two countries in areas including trade, finance, communications, and infrastructure. He said both nations “share a natural affinity.”
The meeting coincided with the 38th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and China.
“The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century,” Xi said, describing a global environment marked by instability and “unilateral bullying.”
Orsi said Uruguay seeks to expand cooperation through diversified trade, services, and investment.
“Our comprehensive strategic partnership is at its best,” he said. “It should be our responsibility to raise it to a new level.”
The 19 agreements signed cover investment, industrial cooperation, environment, fishing, poultry, intellectual property, communications, and media collaboration. Several deals focus on cooperation between Uruguayan and Chinese state media and information-sharing platforms.
Both governments also released a 32-point joint statement committing to expanded “pragmatic” cooperation and stronger coordination in international organizations.
Uruguay reaffirmed its support for China’s “One-China Principle,” which claims Taiwan as part of China, and pledged opposition to any form of Taiwanese independence.
The statement also confirmed Uruguay’s intention to deepen cooperation under China’s Belt and Road Initiative and acknowledged Chinese involvement in building Uruguay’s 5G network. Both sides expressed interest in advancing a future free trade agreement between China and the Mercosur trade bloc.
In addition, the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, including joint training programs.
Days before Orsi’s departure, the Uruguayan magazine Búsqueda cited a U.S. Embassy official who said Washington is closely monitoring the visit.
“We are closely following the Uruguayan government’s upcoming trip to China,” the official said, expressing concerns over security, labor standards, human rights, and trade practices.
The official also criticized China’s manufacturing subsidies, saying low-priced imports have harmed Uruguayan industries. He cited the loss of 150 jobs in the toy manufacturing sector in 2025 as an example.
The Beijing visit highlights Uruguay’s growing economic reliance on China and underscores rising geopolitical competition in South America, as Washington and Beijing vie for influence in the region.
