President Yamandou Orsi is the first Latin American leader to visit China since the abduction of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro by US forces.
Published February 3, 2026
China and Uruguay are moving to deepen their strategic partnership despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to keep Chinese influence out of Latin America.
After Uruguayan President Yamandou Orsi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Tuesday, the two countries signed more than a dozen cooperation agreements in areas such as science, technology and trade.
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In a social media post, Orsi said Uruguay is “pursuing active international engagement, strengthening long-term relationships and creating new opportunities for the country’s development.”
According to a Chinese reading of the meeting, Xi spoke to the Uruguayan leader about the need to promote a “multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization” while deepening a “comprehensive strategic partnership” and cooperating toward “common development.”
Mr Orsi’s seven-day trip to China begins on Sunday and he will next head to Shanghai. A 150-person delegation, including business leaders and other government officials, is accompanying the president.
His visit is attracting attention because he will be the first Latin American leader to visit China since U.S. special forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a bloody night raid in Caracas in early January.
Immediately after Maduro’s abduction, Orsi said Uruguay had rejected military intervention, local media reported, but later added that Maduro’s removal was “good news as long as the dictatorship disappears and democracy emerges.”
Still, Mr. Orsi’s dealings with China could infuriate Mr. Trump, who is seeking to reaffirm America’s primacy over the Western Hemisphere.
As part of this vision, the United States aims to keep the region “protected from hostile foreign aggression” (a thinly veiled reference to China), according to the White House’s November 2025 National Security Strategy.
William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that Orsi is sending a signal to the United States that it will not be “deterred” from pursuing relations with China, despite Trump’s warnings.
“With a 150-member delegation, including business leaders, this visit sends a message that China remains a top economic and trading partner for Latin American countries and is committed to continuing engagement with Beijing,” Yang said.
According to information published on Orsi’s Facebook account, Uruguay’s exports of beef, soybeans and dairy products reached $3.49 billion last year, with China its largest export market. Uruguay also imported $2.8 billion worth of goods from China last year.
Orsi is not the only leader willing to reach out to China in an effort to sway Washington.
The Uruguayan leader’s visit follows recent visits by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“It is important to note that this trend does not mean that countries are starting to fundamentally move away from the United States,” Yang said.
“Rather, they are trying to recalibrate the distance between themselves and the world’s top two economic powers,” he said.
China is also using its meetings with world leaders to send a message that, unlike the Trump administration, it is a reliable diplomatic partner and one that prioritizes building relationships, Yang added.
