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Uruguay, China to deepen bilateral ties with historic presidential visit

China

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China

Uruguay, China to deepen bilateral ties with historic presidential visit

2026-01-31 15:44 Last Updated At:23:57

China and Uruguay are experiencing an exceptional moment in their bilateral relations, which will culminate in the first state visit of Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi to the Asian country during the first week of February, coinciding with the 38th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two nations.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Yamandu Orsi will pay a state visit to China from Feb. 1 to 7, the Chinese foreign ministry has announced.

President Orsi's state visit to China has generated considerable anticipation in Uruguay, reflected in the high-level delegation accompanying him. The delegation includes multiple cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, directors of public enterprises and state agencies, representatives from over 90 companies, and dozens of business leaders spanning diverse sectors.

"This will be the largest number of business leaders ever invited by a Uruguayan president to China. More than 60 to 65 business leaders have already confirmed their attendance, and that list continues to grow. This reflects a new reality. They represent a wide range of sectors, from food security and agriculture to technology and logistics. Therefore, we believe that this public-private partnership, highlighted by President Orsi's delegation -- which includes several cabinet ministers from the productive sector and numerous directors of state agencies -- will undoubtedly mark a substantial advancement in cooperation during our time in Beijing and Shanghai. This cooperation, I reiterate, has a long history, but in this phase, it must accelerate in very specific directions to foster our country's growth and, naturally, deepen the relationship between our two nations," said Uruguay's Foreign Affairs Minister Mario Lubetkin.

The Uruguay-China Chamber of Commerce highlighted the current state of relations between the two countries.

"Currently, trade relations between Uruguay and China are at an excellent point in the bilateral relationship. We have now had China as our main trading partner for more than 14 consecutive years, and Uruguay has seen trade growth of more than 10 percent from 2024 to 2025, in both imports and exports and transit goods. So what we see is a very good relationship, and China is our main trading partner in terms of goods," said Nicolas Potrie, president of the Uruguay-China Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to trade, President Orsi's visit to China aims to advance joint work in other areas such as scientific and technical cooperation, joint educational programs, and strengthening inter-institutional ties, according to media reports.

Uruguay, China to deepen bilateral ties with historic presidential visit

Uruguay, China to deepen bilateral ties with historic presidential visit

The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 71,769 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with the number of injuries reaching 171,483, Gaza's health authorities said on Saturday.

In the past 48 hours, hospitals in Gaza received 17 more bodies, including 12 new deaths and five bodies recovered from the rubble, the authorities said.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 509 people and wounded 1,405 others, according to the Gaza health authorities.

Israel will reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for pedestrian traffic in both directions on Sunday, an Israeli government-affiliated body announced in a statement on Friday.

Israel's office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said in the statement that exit from and entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing "will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission."

The move is part of a U.S.-proposed Gaza ceasefire plan. Israel said last Sunday that it would reopen the Rafah crossing after recovering the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which was retrieved from Gaza earlier this week.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 71,769

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 71,769

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