President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Yamandu Orsi visited the Beijing Foreign Studies University on Wednesday morning as part of his week-long state visit to China, which began on Sunday.

Orsi is the first leader from Latin America to visit China in 2026, following visits by leaders from Ireland, South Korea, Canada, Finland and Britain.

The Uruguayan president commenced the university visit by tending to a tall spruce tree, which was planted by former Uruguayan President Jose Mujica during his visit to China in 2013. Orsi personally watered and nurtured this tree, a symbol of the enduring friendship between Uruguay and China.

Orsi then toured an exhibition showcasing the achievements of Spanish language education at the university and engaged with faculty and students during a seminar.

"Thirteen years ago, I witnessed former President 'Pepe' Mujica visiting here and planting this tree. Today, I have come to water and fertilize it. This is both a literal and symbolic act of care. I hope it grows strong and flourishes, just as we hope for our relationship with China. It has already taken deep root. When we see this tree standing tall today, its roots empower both it and our relationship to withstand any storm," said Orsi

The president emphasized that the significant challenges we face today transcend national boundaries. Isolationism and unregulated unilateralism are not viable solutions. Multilateralism is not merely a slogan; it is an urgent necessity, he said.

"For countries like Uruguay, without multilateralism, we cannot integrate into the world and achieve development. China is a staunch defender of multilateralism, and we fully agree with this stance. In this regard, we are partners with shared values. Over the past 38 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations [between Uruguay and China], Uruguay has prioritized its relationship with China. Regardless of which party is in power, nearly every president has visited China, and each visit has served to advance and deepen our ties," said the Uruguayan president.