Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi's state visit to China is viewed by experts as a signal of Uruguay's determination to expand agricultural and trade cooperation with its largest export market.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Orsi is paying a week-long visit from February 1 to 7, coinciding with the 38th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He is the first Latin American leader to visit China in 2026, arriving with nearly 100 business leaders, one of the largest delegations Uruguay has ever sent.
The trip is centered on economic development, with agriculture at the forefront. China and Uruguay already share strong trade ties in beef and dairy, and industry leaders say they expect the visit to open new opportunities. The prominence of agriculture was underscored when China’s Minister of Agriculture became the first official to welcome Orsi upon his arrival on Sunday.
"This trip is very important for us. China is very important for us, it's the most important market in terms of dairy products," said Conaprole president Gabriel Fernandez Secco.
"I feel proud of this possibility. Exports are very important for our economy. I can see Uruguay increasing the production of meat," said Gaston Scayola, president of the Uruguayan National Meat Institute.
The visit also carries geopolitical weight. As the United States intensifies its engagement in Latin America, including recent strikes on Venezuela, Uruguay is signaling that it will make its own choices.
"At present, 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 of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.
For Uruguay, China represents long-term economic opportunity rather than a geopolitical question. China has been Uruguay's largest export destination for more than a decade, accounting for 26 percent of total goods exports in 2025. At last year's China-CELAC ministerial meeting, both sides announced over 100 cooperation projects for 2025--2027, underscoring the depth of engagement.
A closer partnership reflects the choices of both Chinese and Latin American societies, and serves the shared interests of both sides.
"Latin America and the Caribbean is an independent region and a sovereign region. It's willing to trade with the United States, if it is treated on equal terms. But it also wants to trade with China and other countries. It wants to have its own independent policy," said Benjamin Norton, the founder and editor-in-chief of Geopolitical Economy Report.
Uruguayan president’s China trip highlights strategic push for stronger economic cooperation
