Uruguay bolsters strategic, economic partnership with China: observers

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.

Uruguay bolsters strategic, economic partnership with China: observers

Uruguay bolsters strategic, economic partnership with China: observers

China on Saturday expressed serious concern and firm opposition to new U.S. outbound investment restrictions, saying that it will closely follow relevant developments and reserve the right to take all necessary measures.

The statement made by a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce came in response to a media query regarding the U.S. Treasury Department's updated proposed rules on outbound investment released on Friday.

In the statement released on the ministry's official website, the spokesperson said that the proposed rule expands the scope of investment restrictions targeting China in a discriminatory manner and intensifies these constraints, which is a classic example of generalizing the concept of national security and runs counter to the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

It also interrupts normal economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and U.S. enterprises, and undermines the international economic and trade order, the spokesperson added.

Highlighting China's enormous market and immense consumer and investment potential, the spokesperson emphasized that investing in China means investing in the future.

U.S. restrictions on investments in China not only hinder bilateral economic and trade cooperation, but also harm the interests of American enterprises themselves, the spokesperson noted.

China urges the U.S. side to respect the laws of a market economy, stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop politicizing and weaponizing trade and economic issues, and create an enabling environment for China-U.S. business cooperation, said the spokesperson.

China firmly opposes US discriminatory investment restrictions: spokesperson