Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signed more than a dozen cooperation agreements on February 3 in Beijing, deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership as Washington seeks to curb Chinese influence in Latin America.

The pacts cover trade, investment, science, technology, agriculture and infrastructure, marking a significant expansion of ties between China and the small South American nation of 3.4mn people. The signing followed talks between the two leaders on the 38th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Orsi arrived in the Chinese capital on February 1 at the head of a 150-strong delegation including government officials, business leaders and university representatives, becoming the first Latin American head of state to visit China this year. The mission will also travel to Shanghai during the week-long tour.

China has been Uruguay's largest trading partner for more than a decade, absorbing roughly a quarter of the country's exports. Uruguayan shipments to China totalled $3.5bn last year, up nearly 12% year on year, according to official data. The bulk consists of agricultural staples including beef, soybeans and wood pulp.

President Xi hosted a welcoming ceremony for Orsi at the Great Hall of the People before the two leaders held talks.

The Chinese leader called on both countries to strengthen alignment of their development strategies and deepen cooperation in traditional sectors whilst exploring opportunities in emerging fields such as green development, artificial intelligence and clean energy. "China and Uruguay have always got along with each other on the basis of mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation," Xi said, according to Xinhua.

Orsi described the Asian superpower as "an important cooperation partner" and said the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations was "at its best in history". The Uruguayan president reiterated his country's support for the one-China principle and the "one country, two systems" policy. He also pledged to elevate bilateral cooperation to bring greater benefits to both peoples whilst upholding multilateralism and defending common interests of the Global South.

The visit comes as US President Donald Trump pushes to reassert American dominance over the Western Hemisphere. Washington's National Security Strategy, published in November 2025, aims to keep the region "free of hostile foreign incursion", language seen as targeting China's growing involvement.

The timing is particularly sensitive following US special forces' capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, a close Beijing ally, in a raid on Caracas in January. Whilst Orsi initially rejected the military intervention, he later suggested Maduro's removal could enable a democratic transition, according to local media.

Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin pointed to the size and composition of the delegation as a deliberate signal to both Beijing and domestic stakeholders, noting that more than 100 participants were private-sector business leaders.

The delegation also included representation from Uruguay's main trade union federation, PIT-CNT, making it the largest business presence on a presidential trip abroad.

Speaking to CGTN, Lubetkin said the visit was "about continuing to develop the intense cooperation we have with Chinese authorities in fundamental sectors such as commercial, economic, infrastructural, environmental, and educational areas".

The agreements signed include memorandums on investment promotion, industrial cooperation, environmental collaboration, trade facilitation, fisheries management, intellectual property, emergency management and media cooperation. Uruguay's flagship public university will also establish partnerships with Chinese institutions and Huawei covering student exchanges, joint laboratories and applied artificial intelligence in healthcare.

But Uruguay faces pressure on multiple fronts. China has implemented safeguard-style measures starting in 2026 including additional tariffs on beef imports above quota levels, policy changes closely watched by major South American suppliers. Any changes to China's beef import requirements or purchasing patterns thus pose immediate risks to Uruguay's export earnings, given Beijing's outsized role as a buyer.

Several Western leaders including those from the UK, Canada and France have also visited Beijing in recent months as Trump pursues a more confrontational approach to trade and international relations.