What to expect from Uruguayan president's state visit to China

Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi will arrive in China on February 1 for a week-long state visit, marking a milestone in a relationship hailed as a model of solidarity and cooperation.

The visit, which concludes on February 7, coincides with the 38th anniversary of diplomatic ties on February 3 – a symbolic backdrop for a trip aimed at further deepening the China-Uruguay comprehensive strategic partnership.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, the visit will focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

China and Uruguay: Good friends, good partners

China has long regarded Uruguay as a good friend and good partner and seen the bilateral relationship as a model for solidarity and cooperation between countries of different sizes, systems and cultures.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1988, China and Uruguay have sustained a sound and stable growth of bilateral relations, said Chinese Ambassador to Uruguay Huang Yazhong during an interview with Uruguayan media on Monday.

The sentiment is echoed in Montevideo. President Orsi said in Uruguay, developing friendly ties with China is a matter of broad consensus, stressing that every administration since the establishment of diplomatic relations has actively pursued stronger bonds with Beijing.

Orsi told China's Xinhua News Agency before the visit that he views the friendship as a great edifice, adding that such a structure is not built in a single day. Every agreement signed and every cooperation reached adds a new brick to the edifice of the relationship, he said, expressing confidence that mutual efforts will make this structure increasingly magnificent and enduring.

The economic engine driving the partnership has shifted into high gear. From a modest $124 million at the start of diplomatic relations, bilateral trade skyrocketed to $6.59 billion in 2024, a 24.4-percent year-on-year increase, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of China.

China has remained Uruguay's top trading partner for over a decade, serving as the primary destination for its soybeans and wool. However, the trade flow is no longer just one-way agricultural exports. Uruguay is rapidly becoming a hub for Chinese innovation. For instance, in 2025, one out of every three passenger vehicles sold in Uruguay was a Chinese new energy vehicle, according to the head of the industry association.

Ahead of the upcoming state visit, Uruguayan Vice Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi noted that Uruguay is keen to expand market access for a wider range of its exports while advancing new areas of cooperation and innovation with China.

China-LAC ties

The timing of the Uruguayan president's visit carries unique geopolitical weight. In 2026, Uruguay holds a rare "triple chairmanship," leading three major multilateral organizations: the Group of 77 (G77) and China, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

Orsi has signaled his intent to use these platforms to promote regional integration and multilateralism. Through the China-CELAC Forum, Uruguay aims to uphold the banner of multilateralism and foster a more interconnected world, he said.

His upcoming visit follows the late-2025 release of China's third policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This foundational document highlights the vision of building a China-LAC community with a shared future and prioritizing political trust and strategic dialogue.

Beijing views the LAC region as an essential force in the process toward a multipolar world and economic globalization and maintains that the China-LAC relationship does not target or exclude any third party, nor is it subjugated by any third party.