"As the ambassador of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay to China, I am proud to say that Uruguay and China are deepening their strategic partnership and bilateral relations are in a golden period," said Fernando Lugris, Uruguay's ambassador to China in a signed article.

Fernando Lugris, Uruguay's ambassador to China [Photo/dzwww.com]

The ambassador said that China is Uruguay's largest trading partner and government officials of the two countries have frequently pushed to deepen cooperation in various fields.

The two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2016 and Uruguay was the first member of Mercosur -- a four-country trade bloc that also includes Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay -- to endorse the Belt and Road Initiative.

"In particular, I should like to stress that cooperation between Uruguay and Shandong province is extremely close in all respects," he said.

According to Lugris, in 2004 Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong, established sister-city relations with Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. The two cities have since conducted extensive exchanges in culture, sports, education and business.

The Confucius Institute in Uruguay, which was co-established by Qingdao University and University of Republic of Uruguay, was the first of its kind in the country.

"Shandong has also maintained close ties with the Departamento de Soriano in Uruguay and we look forward to more fruitful cooperation between the two sides in the near future," the ambassador said.

The envoy also highlighted Uruguay's culture, tourism, agriculture and its business environment, in a bid to attract more investors and tourists from China.