Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday called for an “equal and orderly multipolar world” in the face of “unilateral bullying,” in an apparent jab at the US.
Xi was speaking during talks in Beijing with Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, the first South American leader to visit China since US special forces captured then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last month — an operation that Beijing condemned as a violation of sovereignty.
Orsi follows a slew of leaders to have visited China seeking to boost ties with the world’s second-largest economy to hedge against US President Donald Trump’s increasingly unpredictable administration.
Photo: AP
“The international situation is fraught with intertwined turmoil, and unilateral bullying is intensifying,” Xi told Orsi, China Central Television reported.
China “is willing to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with Uruguay in the global south, jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world, and inclusive economic globalization,” he said.
Beijing “supports Latin American and Caribbean countries in safeguarding their sovereignty, security and development interests,” he added.
During the meeting, Orsi warned of risks from the “challenging international and regional scenario.”
China is Uruguay’s top trading partner, largest export destination and a key buyer of agricultural products such as soybeans and beef.
Chinese electric vehicle brands have also grown their market share in Uruguay, accounting for almost one-third of sales last year.
Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Latin America as part of its quest for natural resources and through its Belt and Road Initiative.
China and Uruguay would “seek to increase and diversify our bilateral trade,” Orsi said at the meeting, adding that they both supported a “standard-based international trade system.”
The two leaders signed agreements on science, technology, environmental cooperation and other areas.
Xi said the two sides would explore cooperation in emerging fields such as green technology, the digital economy and artificial intelligence.
Uruguay is part of South America’s Mercosur trade bloc, along with Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, which limits its ability to strike unilateral trade deals with Beijing.
Montevideo has previously expressed interest in an independent commercial deal with China, which sparked opposition from fellow members.
Mercosur signed a trade deal — two decades in the making — with the EU last month, eliminating tariffs on more than 90 percent of bilateral trade.
Orsi was also due to hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強) and Chinese National People’s Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji (趙樂際) yesterday before traveling to Shanghai.
CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台灣國際造船) yesterday released the first video documenting the submerged sea trials of Taiwan’s indigenous defense submarine prototype, the Hai Kun (海鯤), or Narwhal, showing underwater navigation and the launch of countermeasures. The footage shows the vessel’s first dive, steering and control system tests, and the raising and lowering of the periscope and antenna masts. It offered a rare look at the progress in the submarine’s sea acceptance tests. The Hai Kun carried out its first shallow-water diving trial late last month and has since completed four submerged tests, CSBC said. The newly released video compiles images recorded from Jan. 29 to
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to make advanced 3-nanometer chips in Japan, stepping up its semiconductor manufacturing roadmap in the country in a triumph for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s technology ambitions. TSMC is to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fab in Kumamoto, company chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said yesterday. That is an upgrade from an original blueprint to produce 7-nanometer chips by late next year, people familiar with the matter said. TSMC began mass production at its first plant in Japan’s Kumamoto in late 2024. Its second fab, which is still under construction, was originally focused on
DETERRENCE EFFORTS: Washington and partners hope demonstrations of force would convince Beijing that military action against Taiwan would carry high costs The US is considering using HMAS Stirling in Western Australia as a forward base to strengthen its naval posture in a potential conflict with China, particularly over Taiwan, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. As part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, Washington plans to deploy up to four nuclear-powered submarines at Stirling starting in 2027, providing a base near potential hot spots such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. The move also aims to enhance military integration with Pacific allies under the Australia-UK-US trilateral security partnership, the report said. Currently, US submarines operate from Guam, but the island could
EMERGING FIELDS: The Chinese president said that the two countries would explore cooperation in green technology, the digital economy and artificial intelligence Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday called for an “equal and orderly multipolar world” in the face of “unilateral bullying,” in an apparent jab at the US. Xi was speaking during talks in Beijing with Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, the first South American leader to visit China since US special forces captured then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last month — an operation that Beijing condemned as a violation of sovereignty. Orsi follows a slew of leaders to have visited China seeking to boost ties with the world’s second-largest economy to hedge against US President Donald Trump’s increasingly unpredictable administration. “The international situation is fraught
RSS