On the afternoon of November 22, President Xi Jinping held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with President Lacalle Pou of Uruguay, who was on a state visit to China. This photo shows Xi Jinping hosting a welcome ceremony for Lacalle Pou in the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People before the talks.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Bin

On the afternoon of November 22, President Xi Jinping held talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with President Lacalle Pou of Uruguay, who was on a state visit to China. This photo shows Xi Jinping hosting a welcome ceremony for Lacalle Pou in the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People before the talks.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xueren

On the afternoon of November 22, President Xi Jinping held talks at the Great Hall of the People with President Lacalle Pou of Uruguay, who was on a state visit to China. The two heads of state announced that they would elevate China-Uruguay relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi Jinping noted that 2023 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Uruguay and the fifth anniversary of Uruguay's joining the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have always adhered to mutual respect, equality, win-win cooperation, and vigorous exchanges and cooperation in various fields. In particular, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries supported each other and fought the pandemic together, which elevated the China-Uruguay strategic partnership. China is ready to work with Uruguay to take the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership as a new starting point and new coordinate, raise the level of bilateral relations, enrich the connotation of bilateral cooperation, and make China-Uruguay relations a model of solidarity and cooperation between countries of different sizes, different systems and different cultures, so as to better serve the development of the two countries and improve the well-being of the two peoples.

Xi Jinping introduced the connotation and significance of Chinese modernization, and said that China is ready to strengthen exchanges with Uruguay on governance, enhance political mutual trust, share development opportunities, and promote the realization of modernization of the two countries and the world. The two sides should intensify friendly exchanges and cooperation between legislative bodies, political parties and localities, take the signing of the Belt and Road cooperation plan as an opportunity to strengthen the synergy of development strategies, foster new drivers of cooperation in such areas as services trade, the digital economy and clean energy, and push China-Uruguay Belt and Road cooperation into a new stage of high-quality development. China welcomes more high-quality Uruguayan agricultural and livestock products and high-value-added products into the Chinese market, encourages Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Uruguay, and hopes that Uruguay will continue to provide a sound business environment for Chinese enterprises. The two sides should promote cultural, sports and other people-to-people and cultural exchanges and create more convenience for personnel exchanges between the two countries. China is ready to provide more scholarship opportunities to Uruguay.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Uruguay have similar visions on many international and regional issues and share broad consensus and common interests. The two sides can further strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and make joint efforts to make the world more peaceful, prosperous and just. China attaches great importance to the development of China-Latin America relations, appreciates Uruguay's consistent active participation in overall China-Latin America cooperation, supports regional organizations such as Mercosur in maintaining close political dialogue and economic and trade cooperation with China, and hopes that Uruguay will, as always, promote China-Latin America and China-South America cooperation.

Lacalle Pou said that he was very pleased to lead an important cabinet and economic and trade delegation to visit China on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and China. Over the past 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the development of bilateral relations has always followed the principles of equality, respect, mutual benefit and win-win results. The two sides have solid political mutual trust, and continuously deepening Uruguay-China relations is a strong consensus of all sectors and the entire people of Uruguay. The Uruguayan government recognizes that there is only one China in the world, and that peaceful reunification is China's internal affair and must be decided by the Chinese people themselves. Uruguay and China both firmly uphold multilateralism, safeguard free trade and are committed to promoting world peace and stability. Uruguay-China relations have gone beyond the economic and trade field and shown a sound momentum of multi-dimensional and high-level development. Uruguay actively supports Belt and Road cooperation, agrees with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping, hopes to strengthen cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, science and technology, sports and tourism, welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Uruguay, supports the establishment of more Confucius Institutes in Uruguay, and promotes personnel exchanges and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Uruguay looks forward to working with China to accelerate free trade cooperation and, at the same time, push Mercosur toward this goal. Uruguay is willing to play a positive role in promoting the development of Latin America-China relations and the building of the Latin America-China Forum.

After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of the Belt and Road cooperation plan and a number of bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as trade and investment, the digital economy, green development, agriculture, health, education, culture, scientific and technological innovation, and customs inspection and quarantine.

Before the talks, Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony for Lacalle Pou in the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People.

A 21-gun salute was fired at Tiananmen Square, and honor guards lined up in salute. The two heads of state stepped onto the reviewing stand, and the military band played the national anthems of China and Uruguay. Accompanied by Xi Jinping, Lacalle Pou reviewed the guard of honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and watched the march-past.

That evening, Xi Jinping held a welcome banquet for Lacalle Pou in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People.

Wang Yi attended the above activities.

During Lacalle Pou's visit to China, the two sides issued the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.