元首外交｜建交35载 中国乌拉圭关系再上新台阶

初冬时节，天安门广场鸣放21响礼炮，礼兵列队致敬，欢迎远道而来的客人。

11月22日下午，国家主席习近平在人民大会堂同来华进行国事访问的乌拉圭总统拉卡列举行会谈。

两国元首宣布，将中乌关系提升为全面战略伙伴关系。站在这一新起点、新坐标上，两国合作领域必将愈加丰富，人文交流愈加多彩，为中拉合作与中南合作注入强劲动力。

11月22日下午，国家主席习近平在北京人民大会堂同来华进行国事访问的乌拉圭总统拉卡列举行会谈。这是会谈前，习近平在人民大会堂北大厅为拉卡列举行欢迎仪式。

双边关系高水平发展

2023年是中乌建交35周年。两国虽远隔重洋，国情相殊，但双边关系始终持续稳定健康发展。近年来，在两国元首的战略引领下，中乌关系取得丰硕成果。2016年，中乌共同宣布建立战略伙伴关系。

在同拉卡列总统会谈时，习近平主席指出两国关系持续发展的关键：“相互尊重”“平等相待”“合作共赢”。寄望未来，习近平主席指出，将中乌关系打造成为不同体量、不同制度、不同文化国家团结合作的典范，更好服务各自国家发展，增进两国人民福祉。

拉卡列总统表示，不断深化乌中关系是乌拉圭各界和全体人民的强烈共识。乌中关系已经超越经贸领域，呈现出多维度、高水平发展的良好态势。

11月22日下午，国家主席习近平在北京人民大会堂同来华进行国事访问的乌拉圭总统拉卡列举行会谈。

22日的会谈后，中乌两国元首共同见证签署共建“一带一路”合作规划，贸易投资、数字经济、绿色发展、农业、卫生、教育、文化、科技创新和海关检验检疫等领域多项双边合作文件。

乌拉圭外长奥马尔·帕加尼尼告诉新华社记者，自己前不久首次到访中国，中国的发展让他印象深刻。他认为，乌拉圭“应全方位深化与中国的合作关系”，希望两国关系能够提升至更高水平，相信两国在农牧业、可再生能源、电子商务、人工智能等领域合作潜力大。

近年来，两国在联合国、中拉论坛等多边框架内保持良好协作，乌拉圭还加入亚洲基础设施投资银行和金砖国家新开发银行，共同促进南南合作、助力全球发展。

乌拉圭天主教大学国际商务研究所所长巴尔泰萨吉认为，乌中两国在投融资、公共卫生、文化交流、应对全球挑战等方面都存在广泛的合作空间。

“通向世界和谐共处的道路”

在22日的会谈中，习近平主席指出，双方要密切立法机构、政党、地方友好交流合作，以签署共建“一带一路”合作规划为契机，加强发展战略对接，培育服务贸易、数字经济、清洁能源等领域合作新动能，推动中乌共建“一带一路”进入高质量发展新阶段。

2018年，乌拉圭成为首个同中方签署共建“一带一路”谅解备忘录的南方共同市场成员国。5年来，两国合作在“一带一路”框架下不断走深走实。

在乌拉圭的派桑杜省，一座座银色的高压电铁塔在广阔的草原上次第而立。中国和乌拉圭工人共同搭建着新的铁塔。在“一带一路”合作框架下，由中国中设集团总承包的乌拉圭500千伏输变电环网闭合项目跨越了乌拉圭北部5个省份。

派桑杜省吉琼市市长马丁·阿尔瓦雷斯告诉记者，这一项目为当地创造大量就业岗位，他期待乌中合作进一步加深，为乌拉圭带来更多这样的好项目。

这是2023年11月15日拍摄的位于乌拉圭派桑杜省乌拉圭500千伏输变电环网闭合项目施工现场。

帕加尼尼说，中国不仅助力乌拉圭打造“韧性更强”的全国输电网络，也助力乌拉圭更好地联通阿根廷、巴西等邻国，“通过推动投资、贸易、基础设施建设为人民谋福祉，是一条通向世界各国和谐共处的道路，这对所有国家的发展都是好事”。

共享中国发展机遇

拉卡列总统此次带领重要内阁成员和庞大的经贸代表团访华。不少企业都希望拥抱中国市场，共享发展机遇。

习近平主席在同拉卡列总统会谈时指出，欢迎更多乌拉圭优质农牧产品和高附加值产品进入中国市场，鼓励中国企业赴乌投资兴业，希望乌方继续为中国企业提供良好营商环境。

闪亮的紫水晶、浓郁的牛奶酱、馥郁的丹娜葡萄酒、柔软的羊毛围巾……在今年第六届中国国际进口博览会国家馆内，乌拉圭展区的丰富商品吸引不少人驻足。

乌拉圭连续参加六届进博会。在国家品牌促进机构“乌拉圭二十一”经理巴勃罗·佩雷拉看来，参加进博会的“全勤”记录是乌拉圭加强对华经贸合作的缩影，不断增长的中国市场为乌拉圭企业提供了巨大商机。

2019年11月6日，参观者在第二届进博会乌拉圭国家馆展台咨询。

中国和乌拉圭建交之初，羊毛在两国贸易中占据重要份额。近年来，两国经贸合作领域不断拓宽，乌拉圭的牛肉、红酒、乳制品等优质产品出现在中国百姓的餐桌上，中国的汽车、家电、日用品等产品也丰富着乌拉圭民众的生活。中国连续11年保持乌第一大贸易伙伴和最大出口市场地位，2022年两国贸易额达到74.4亿美元，是建交时的60倍。

“乌拉圭是中国可靠的合作伙伴。”乌拉圭畜牧业、农业和渔业部长费尔南多·马托斯对新华社记者说，当今世界，频发的地区冲突、全球性的公共卫生事件等不确定性因素对全球供应链造成负面影响，而中国的倡议和行动为全球供应链注入了稳定性。

帕加尼尼说，2016年乌中战略伙伴关系建立后，双边贸易出现强劲增长。2022年，中国从乌拉圭进口额创新高，这对乌拉圭来说意义重大。

“有朋自远方来”

习近平主席指出，中乌双方要促进文化、体育等人文交流，为两国人员往来创造更多便利条件，中方愿向乌方提供更多奖学金名额。

在同习近平主席会谈时，拉卡列总统表示，支持在乌设立更多孔子学院，促进两国人员往来和人文交流。他此访在清华大学发表演讲时，也提到人文交往的重要性，“我们应该跨越国界、跨越文化，通过相互沟通来增进相互理解”。

近年来，乌拉圭的中文学习热方兴未艾，越来越多的乌拉圭学校等机构有意招收更多中文老师教授中文课。

拉美社科院乌拉圭分部研究员卡拉·罗索今年开设了“理解中国——亚洲巨人的历史与文化”的研究生课程。这位曾在华留学3年的学者告诉记者，不少学生因为对中国武术、美食、电影的喜爱而选择学习中国文化，还有一些人出于工作需要，希望通过学习中国文化更深入地了解中国。她告诉记者，她的学生、圣何塞市议员哈维尔·古铁雷斯就是在访问重庆后迷上了中国文化，回国后选修了这门课程。

罗索说，人文交流是国与国交流的根基，是不同国家人民相互理解的关键。

乌拉圭一家木材出口公司的职员露西娅·法哈多曾在北京语言大学学习中文，后在厦门大学获得硕士学位，目前负责公司的对华业务。“有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？”法哈多引用《论语》名言说，乌拉圭民众希望乌中关系越来越好，人民之间越走越亲近。

2023年9月29日，乌拉圭共和国大学孔子学院师生一起做月饼，欢度中秋节。

乌拉圭共和国大学孔子学院中方院长郭梅告诉记者，孔子学院每年培养学生350人。近年来，越来越多的乌拉圭人相信中文是对职业发展很重要的语言，学中文的人越来越多。

乌拉圭体操运动员维克托·罗斯塔尼奥曾三次前往中国长沙，和中国运动员一起训练，其中有的运动员还拿过世界冠军。“我们在中国教练员和运动员的帮助下，竞技水平提高了很多。”罗斯塔尼奥说，期待乌中体育交流能进一步深入，通过体育增加双方民众的了解。

交得其道，千里同好。中乌正架起跨越山海的友谊之桥。展望未来，两国将继续携手前进，深化务实合作，为中拉合作与中南合作注入新的活力，为世界提供更多机遇。

China-Uruguay ties expected to bear more fruits with comprehensive strategic partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou here on Wednesday. The two heads of state announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Embarking on a new starting point, the two countries are expected to carry out increased cooperation and enriched people-to-people exchanges, which will further energize China-Latin America cooperation, as well as cooperation between China and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

HIGH-LEVEL DEVELOPMENT IN RELATIONSHIP

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Uruguay. Despite the significant geographical distance and different national conditions between the two countries, their bilateral relations have maintained a stable and robust development.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have adhered to mutual respect, equal treatment and win-win cooperation, Xi said during his meeting with Lacalle. Looking forward, Xi expressed his hope to make China-Uruguay relations a model for solidarity and cooperation between countries of different sizes, systems and cultures, better serve the development of the two countries, and improve the well-being of the two peoples.

For his part, Lacalle said that Uruguay-China relations have gone beyond economy and trade, and shown sound multi-dimensional and high-level development momentum.

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

In recent years, the two countries have maintained great cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Forum. Meanwhile, Uruguay has joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank, contributing to South-South cooperation and global development.

FRUITFUL COOPERATION

During Wednesday's talks, Xi called on the two sides to step up friendly exchanges and cooperation among legislatures, political parties and localities; take the signing of the Belt and Road cooperation plan as an opportunity to enhance the synergy of development strategies; foster new drivers of cooperation on trade in services, the digital economy and clean energy; and push China-Uruguay Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of high-quality development.

In 2018, Uruguay became the first country in Mercosur to sign a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with China. Over the past five years, cooperation between the two countries has continuously strengthened within the framework of the BRI.

In 2021, the China Machinery Engineering Corporation won the bid for the project of a 500-kilovolt power transmission and distribution loop network in Uruguay. Crossing five provinces in the northern part of the country, the project will enhance Uruguay's electrical system resilience, enabling it to efficiently manage all renewable energy sources and facilitate their equitable distribution.

The Belt and Road promotes the development of "trade and associated services, logistics and infrastructure," Uruguay's Foreign Minister Omar Paganini said. "We have a lot to develop in the field of technology and electric mobility, so we see the relationship with China as very auspicious," Paganini said.

COMMON PROSPERITY

Lacalle led a large delegation of cabinet members and economic and trade representatives during his visit to China. Many Uruguayan companies hope to embrace the Chinese market and share development opportunities.

The Latin American country has participated in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) for six consecutive years. At the CIIE this year, a rich variety of commodities in the Uruguayan exhibition area attracted many visitors.

In recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has been expanding. Uruguayan beef, wine, dairy products and other quality products have entered Chinese people's lives, while Chinese cars, household appliances and daily necessities have also enriched the lives of Uruguayans.

Uruguay's shipments reached an all-time record in 2022 of 13.36 billion U.S. dollars and China was once again its largest market, capturing 28 percent of the total, according to figures from the official Uruguay XXI institute.

China has remained Uruguay's largest trading partner and largest export market for 11 consecutive years. Bilateral trade volume reached 7.44 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, 60 times that of when the two countries established diplomatic ties.

After the establishment of the Uruguay-China strategic partnership in 2016, bilateral trade has witnessed strong growth. In 2022, China's imports from Uruguay reached a new high, which is of great significance to Uruguay, said Paganini.

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

In recent years, learning Chinese has become increasingly popular in Uruguay. A growing number of Uruguayan schools and institutions are eager to recruit more Chinese teachers to teach the language.

Many students choose to study Chinese culture because of their love for Chinese martial arts, food and movies, and some want to learn more about China through learning about Chinese culture for their work, Carla Rosso, researcher of the Uruguay Section of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, told reporters.

People-to-people exchanges are the foundation of state-to-state exchanges and the key to mutual understanding between peoples of different countries, said Rosso, who obtained a master's degree in Chinese Philosophy and Culture at China's Fudan University.

"The Chinese language and knowledge of the culture were important for my professional development," said Lucia Fajardo, who works in Montevideo at a lumber exporting company that has China as one of its main markets. Fajardo learned Chinese at the Beijing Language and Culture University and got a master's degree at China's Xiamen University.

Guo Mei, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of the Republic of Uruguay, said that the institute teaches 350 students every year. In recent years, more and more Uruguayans believe that Chinese is an important language for career development, and an increasing number of people are learning Chinese.

Uruguayan gymnast Victor Rostagno has traveled three times to China's Changsha city to train with Chinese athletes, some of whom have won world championships.

"With the help of our Chinese coaches and athletes, our competitive level has improved a lot," Rostagno said.

He also expects sports exchanges between the two countries to further deepen and increase understanding between the two peoples.