Uruguay bolsters strategic, economic partnership with China: observers

China

Uruguay bolsters strategic, economic partnership with China: observers

2026-02-01 17:40 Last Updated At：19:17

As President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Yamandu Orsi started his state visit to China, some Chinese officials and analysts have emphasized growing economic cooperation and deepening strategic ties between the two countries.

Orsi, who is on a seven-day state visit to China, arrived in Beijing on Sunday, leading a senior delegation of officials and business leaders as Uruguay looks to deepen its growing trade and political partnership with China.

His visit coincides with the 38th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations on February 3.

Beef offers a tangible example of the strength of this relationship. For Uruguay, beef exports are a major economic driver, accounting for about 3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). China has become one of Uruguay's biggest markets for beef, with a steady demand for high-quality imports.

"When we visited Uruguay in recent years, Uruguay's beef producers said about half of their beef is going to China. The cattle there are raised free-range, and the country has a well-established tracking system, so their beef is reliable in terms of quality and safety," said Zhou Meng, deputy general manager of International Business at COFCO Joycome.

China is also a major buyer of Uruguay's soybeans and pulp. It overtook Brazil as Uruguay's top export destination in 2013 and has maintained that position ever since, driven by strong Chinese demand and efficient trade channels.

Beyond economic links, political ties remain robust. Every Uruguayan president has visited China since 2013, reflecting Montevideo's consistent support for closer engagement with Beijing.

With global tensions rising and shifting U.S. foreign policy in the region, regional leaders are navigating more complex waters.

"At present, [U.S. President Donald] Trump has warned Latin American countries not to cooperate with China. Yet Uruguay, one of the wealthiest countries in the region, still chose to engage with China, ignoring these U.S. warnings. I think this clearly has some strategic significance," said Xu Tianqi, deputy director of the Areas Study Department at the RDCY think tank.

China's summer film season continues as consumption campaign entices moviegoers

China is continuing to experience a box office boom this year, driven by a nationwide campaign to spur consumption with cheaper cinema tickets while a series of big summer releases are also enticing film fans out to theaters up and down the country.

Seen as one of the most lucrative periods of the year, China's summer box office season, which officially runs from June 1 to August 31, has now generated more than 10.7 billion yuan in box office revenue as of midday Thursday.

This has helped propel China's total box office revenue for 2026 above 26.5 billion yuan (over 3.9 billion U.S. dollars) as of Thursday afternoon, with more than 670 million moviegoers and over 96 million screenings recorded, according to the latest data from a leading Chinese ticketing platform.

The diverse line-up of summer blockbusters covers a broad range of genres, including comedy, animation, sci-fi, war, and suspense and action, offering audiences more choices and helping attract viewers from different age groups and with different interests.

Among the best performers is the anti-war film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East," which tells the story of a chef working at a Chinese restaurant in the Middle East when war breaks out in the 2000s. It has drawn positive feedback both for its perspective on war and the vivid portrayal of life in the Middle East.

In just 10 days since its release on Aug. 11, the film has raked in over 1.2 billion yuan, catapulting it up the box office charts as it closes in on the year's biggest grossing films.

Ticketing data shows that the current top four on China's annual box office chart are the auto-racing sequel "Pegasus 3", Hong Kong director Stephen Chow's sports comedy "Kung Fu Soccer" about a team of female footballers, the touching family drama "Dear You", and animated film "All Wishes Come True!"

China launched a nationwide campaign this year to boost the cinema sector, with at least 1.2 billion yuan in subsidies planned throughout 2026 to make movie-going more affordable. Data shows the average ticket price for domestic-made movies has dropped to 39.5 yuan (less than 6 U.S. dollars) this year, some 20 percent lower in 2025.