In a video conference on March 9 between Fujian and Canelones Province of Uruguay, Guo Ningning, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Executive Vice Governor, and Yamandú Orsi, Governor of Canelones, signed a letter of intent for the establishment of sister province relationship. Chinese Ambassador to Uruguay Wang Gang, Uruguayan Ambassador to China Fernando Lugris, and Uruguayan Consul General in Guangzhou as well as officials from Uruguay International Cooperation Agency and relevant departments of both provinces attended the meeting.

In her speech, Guo Ningning said that the signing of MOU on Belt and Road cooperation between China and Uruguay in 2018 has provided a good opportunity for the friendly exchanges between Fujian and Canelones, and the letter of intent will open a new chapter of friendship and cooperation for both provinces.

Yamandú Orsi expressed Canelones’ readiness to develop friendly relations with Fujian and advance bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Both governors reached the understanding on closer cooperation and exchanges on industries, trade, culture and tourism, so as to bring more benefits to the people of the two provinces.

Given the similarities and complementarities between the two provinces, the two ambassadors saw broad prospects for cooperation between both provinces and pledged the embassies’ strong support for future cooperation.

Fujian is Uruguay’s largest trading partner in southern China. Located in southeastern Uruguay and adjacent to the capital Montevideo, Canelones has a land area of 4,536 square kilometers and a population of 588,600 (2020). It is a logistical hub for Uruguay and MERCOSUR. It is also Uruguay’s largest wine producer, the largest base for dairy products, vegetables and fruits, and a major meat processing area. It boasts strong industries such as textiles, tanning, metallurgy and food processing, and is home to famous tourist attractions such as the World Heritage Site Church of Atlántida and the Gold Coast.