MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chinese Vice-president arrives in Uruguay to sign 17 agreements

Vice-president Xi Jinping is tipped as a leading candidate to succeed Hu Jintao

China’s Vice-president Xi Jinping and tipped as a leading candidate to succeed President Hu Jintao will be visiting Uruguay June 7 to 9 as part of a tour that includes Italy, Cuba and Chile.

Uruguay’s Vice-president Danilo Astori recently visited China that has become Uruguay’s second trading partner behind Brazil.

Chinese ambassador in Uruguay, Qu Shengwu announced Wednesday that during the two day visit the high ranking official will sign 17 accords with Uruguay in the fields of economy, trade, investments, culture, social, industrial and tourism.

Technical economic cooperation figures high in the bilateral agenda as well as contracts for the purchase of 300 million USD of Uruguayan produce mainly wool and dairy produce.

Uruguay also expects to be listed among the countries which Chinese tourists can visit.

The Chinese ambassador said that “the visit of Vice-President Xi Jinping is very significant for the political, economic and trade expanding links of both countries” that established full diplomatic relations in 1988.

Ambassador Qu Shengwu also revealed that China will be extending Uruguay a grant of 8 million USD which will support development programs to be agreed with the Planning and Budget Office.

Bilateral trade reached 2.6 billion US dollars in 2010.

China has become since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations the main client for Uruguayan wool. So important is the Chinese market that back in 1989 when the killings of the Tianmen Square the only countries not to condemn Beijing were Japan and Uruguay.

This is Vice President Xi Jinping second visit to Latin America, the first was in 2009 and included Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. He will arrive in Uruguay with a numerous delegation that includes five cabinet ministers.