MONTEVIDEO - Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said Tuesday that China is ready to work with Uruguay, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, to carry forward the traditional friendship, constantly enrich the connotation of the China-Uruguay comprehensive strategic partnership, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi during a visit to the country.

Ding first conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and best wishes, noting that Uruguay is a good friend and partner of China. Over the 37 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Uruguay have always adhered to mutual respect and equality, achieving fruitful results in cooperation across various fields and becoming a model of unity and cooperation between countries of different sizes, systems and cultures, he noted.

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Ding said that the recent fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China deliberated and adopted recommendations for the formulation of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan, providing top-level design and strategic planning for China's development and creating more opportunities for China-Uruguay cooperation.

He said that the two sides should continue to consolidate political mutual trust, promote friendly exchanges between the two governments, political parties, legislatures and local authorities, strengthen exchanges on governance experience, and consolidate the positive momentum in bilateral relations.

Ding emphasized the need to keep enhancing practical cooperation, strengthen collaboration in such areas as economy and trade, finance, agriculture and animal husbandry, and infrastructure construction within the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and accelerate the cultivation of new growth areas in information and communications, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy.

He called for deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges, expanding cooperation in education, sports, think tanks, youth and local affairs to enhance mutual understanding and solidifying the foundation of public support.

He also stressed the importance of further strengthening multilateral cooperation, advancing the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative proposed by China, and firmly safeguarding multilateralism as well as international fairness and justice.

For his part, Orsi asked Ding to convey his sincere greetings to Xi, noting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Uruguay and China, the friendship between the two peoples has deepened, and bilateral ties have continued to advance.

The Uruguayan people and all sectors of society look forward to further strengthening Belt and Road cooperation with China and elevating the Uruguay-China comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, he said, adding that Uruguay agrees with and welcomes the major concepts and initiatives put forward by Xi, and stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with China to uphold a free and open international trading system and multilateralism.

After the meeting, Ding and Orsi jointly witnessed the signing of documents on economic and technological cooperation as well as cooperation in the field of customs between the two countries.

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China, Uruguay bilateral ties

Ding said China and Uruguay should implement important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and build on the positive momentum in bilateral relations to bring more benefits to both countries and their peoples.

Ding said China and Uruguay enjoy a long history of exchanges and are good friends and partners with deep mutual understanding. Under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, political mutual trust between the two sides has been deepening day by day, and cooperation in various fields has been steadily advancing, he added.

He said that China appreciates Uruguay's long-term, firm adherence to the one-China principle and believes that both sides will continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns.