In an international context marked by geopolitical and economic changes, the relationship with China is emerging as a strategic partnership for Uruguay’s development.
With the aim of reflecting on the challenges and opportunities involved, the School of Business and Social Sciences at Universidad ORT Uruguay a conference titled “Uruguay-China: Opportunities and Challenges,” organized by the Department of International Studies and the East Asia Research Group.
The event featured Ambassador Fernando Lugris, who served as Uruguay’s ambassador to China for a decade, and who shared a historical and strategic perspective on the relationship between the two countries, as well as insights into understanding their current situation and envisioning their future.
A long-standing relationship
During his presentation, Lugris proposed examining the origins of the ties between Uruguay and China from a historical perspective.
“We have to ask ourselves when the first contact between Uruguay and China took place,” he said, noting that the relationship between the two countries could date back 138 years, much earlier than is commonly assumed.
In that regard, he noted that there is still a great deal of historical research to be done.
As he explained, although some researchers are already working on the subject, further research is still needed into archives and documents that would allow us to reconstruct a diplomatic and commercial history that may be more extensive and complex than is currently known.
Building on this approach, he provided a historical overview of the evolution of bilateral relations and their gradual strengthening.
Political stability and rapprochement
One of the central themes of the conference was the enduring relationship between the two countries over time.
“Uruguay has shown a willingness to engage with this market,” said Lugris, who highlighted the importance of institutional stability in both countries.
In this context, he emphasized that all of Uruguay’s democratically elected presidents have visited China with a shared vision of strengthening bilateral relations.
Every democratic president of Uruguay has visited China, and they all went with the same message: each in their own way, representing the party in power at the time, but the bottom line is that we want stronger ties and increased trade with China.
The former ambassador argued that economic growth cannot be understood without a solid political understanding between countries.
“There can be no trade without genuine political ties,” he said. He also noted that this process of rapprochement has been steady and growing.
He highlighted Uruguay's strategic importance in the region due to its capacity for coordination and its institutional stability.
Beyond the clichés
Following the historical overview, Lugris emphasized the role of the public sector and intergovernmental dialogue in facilitating private-sector development and boosting Uruguayan exports.
As he explained, there is an institutional link that helps create the conditions for companies and productive sectors to expand into the Chinese market. Although he acknowledged that the process is still in its early stages (“we’re taking baby steps; we have a long way to go”), he emphasized that significant progress has already been made.
In particular, he highlighted the presence of Uruguayan companies in China and the growing sophistication of economic and trade ties.
“There is a sophistication to the economic and commercial relationship that goes beyond many of the clichés people like to spread,” he said.
The expert noted that the bilateral relationship has and governing bodies that have enabled significant progress to be made over the years.
Science, Technology, and New Challenges
Another topic discussed was China's transformation in areas such as innovation, science, and technology.
Lugris highlighted Uruguay's participation in major international trade fairs for services and noted that this sector is of particular interest to the country.
In that regard, he stated that China has become a key global player:
China is making great strides; it is a leader in science and technology. We need to continue to deepen this trade dialogue. But there could be no trade dialogue without the political dialogue that makes it possible.
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