China, Uruguay to boost cooperation, strategic partnership: Chinese FM

China will join Uruguay in upgrading the two countries' trade cooperation, look for collaboration potential in innovative sectors, and consolidate their strategic partnership, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Uruguayan counterpart Rodolfo Nin Novoa on Wednesday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with his Uruguayan counterpart Rodolfo Nin Novoa in Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, January 24, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Wang said China supports Uruguay's efforts to play an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative in the south Atlantic and its positive attitude towards participation.

The second ministerial meeting of the China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum that concluded Monday in Chile issued a special statement, saying that the Belt and Road Initiative is being implemented across Latin America, Wang said.

China also appreciates Uruguay's willingness to negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement and wishes to maintain close contact with the Uruguayan side and other members of Mercosur, Wang said, referring to the South American trade bloc aimed at promoting the fluid movement of goods, people and currency.

During the 30 years since China and Uruguay established bilateral ties, the relationship has seen steady and healthy development, Wang said, expressing China's readiness to design a blueprint together with Uruguay for the next three decades.

Mutual trust has injected new impetus into the increasingly enriched and mutual beneficial cooperation, Wang added.

Nin Novoa, for his part, said Uruguay will increase trade cooperation and sign a free trade agreement with China, Uruguay's biggest trade partner. The people of Uruguay admire Chinese culture and long to increase people-to-people exchanges with China.