The brilliant "Land of Diamonds", Uruguay, sits in the vast southeastern part of South America. From extensive grasslands to sprawling beaches, from bustling cities to peaceful countryside, this country, with a population of merely three million shines with its beautiful scenery, colourful culture, and abundant resources. Despite the great distance between China and Uruguay, these two countries have maintained close cooperation and deep friendship for decades. 2024 marks the 36th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Uruguay, and also marks the beginning of the comprehensive strategic partnership between these two old friends. On this occasion, Outlook New Era invited the Uruguayan Consul General in Guangzhou, Facundo Simón Fernandez Guerra, to share his experience in China and his understanding of China-Uruguay relations.

Uruguayan Consul General in Guangzhou, Facundo Simón Fernandez Guerra

Young and passionate diplomat

Consul General Facundo completed his bachelor's degree in international relations at the University of the Republic in Uruguay and mainly studied Chinese economy and commerce when pursuing his master's degree. Thus, upon joining the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Relations in 2017, he was assigned to the Office of International Economic Affairs. His appointment to São Paulo, Brazil in 2019 was his first overseas assignment in his life; In November 2022, he was appointed to Guangzhou, China, and this young diplomat born in the 1990s became the youngest among the more than 60 consuls general stationed in Guangzhou. "I chose this position because it gives me the opportunity to continue promoting bilateral relations with China, which is Uruguay's first commercial partner. For someone who is passionate about international business and commercial diplomacy, this opportunity was impossible to decline. Additionally, it presents a great challenge."

To make things better, Guangzhou, as a millennium-old inclusive commercial city, provides an excellent stage for Consul General Facundo to exercise his skills. "Guangzhou is a global city where you can find everything you need, and the people of Guangzhou are very open-minded." Consul General Facundo regards his office in Guangzhou as the "home" of the entire consulate team, and often invites partners and friends from all industries and countries there. He hopes that this "home" is open to all so that people can see the most authentic state of himself and his team, and therefore have direct and sincere communication with them. In addition to Guangzhou, he has also travelled to multiple cities such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Changsha, Xiamen, Fuzhou, and has led his teams to organize or participate in various activities covering economy and trade, scientific research, sports, education, literature, photography, painting, food, and other fields. He has been occupied with cooperation and exchanges between China and Uruguay.

Recital de poesía de Uruguay México y China

"The opening of the Uruguayan Consulate General in Guangzhou in 2018 was a new starting point in the bilateral relations, as it gave Uruguay the opportunity of having a better understanding of the south of China and increasing the relations with the provinces." In the past six years, despite the impact of COVID-19, the two countries have carried out many fruitful official visits, signed many practical cooperation agreements, and carried out many mutually beneficial projects. Taking trade as an example, Uruguay's exports to the six provinces under its Consulate General in Guangzhou have increased by over 100% compared to the same period in 2018. "Not only Uruguay, but also China has made tremendous efforts for the development of bilateral relations. Our two countries' commitments towards each other are clear and firm. " Consul General Facundo further pointed out that, "only when I am in China as a diplomat, can I directly observe how important it is to maintain friendly relations between the two countries and how great the potential opportunities for cooperation between the two countries are."

Distant but close cultural exchanges

The name "Uruguay" comes from the Uruguay River, which in the ancient Guarani language means "the river colourful birds inhabit". As this ancient and beautiful name suggests, this land is a model of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and has witnessed the history of multi-ethnic and diverse civilizations. Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is one of the farthest capitals from China, but this has not dampened the enthusiasm of the two people to get to know each other across such a distance. The friendship between the Chinese and Uruguayan people is deepening with increasingly frequent cultural exchanges.

"It is barely impossible to think about Uruguayan culture if you don’t have at least a short approximation to football, and this is because in Uruguay people literally breath football," Consul General Facundo told journalists with a smile, "when talking about Uruguay, the first thing occurs to many Chinese friends is football." Uruguay not only hosted the first World Cup, but the Uruguayan football team has won first place in two Olympic Games, two World Cups, and fifteen Copa América.

Sports exchanges between countries not only allow athletes to learn from each other and improve their skills, but also promote mutual understanding between the two peoples and sow the seeds of friendship. At the event of Manual de Fútbol para Niños y Niñas promotion and campus football exchange activity held at Guangdong Experimental High School last year, Consul General Facundo not only shared Uruguayan football culture with attendees, but also put on his jersey and played with teachers and students. "Sports is a language for communication. Since both Uruguay and China have a long tradition in sports, we hope to have more exchanges in this field in the future."

This June, a delegation of 25 Uruguayan rowers is currently in communication with the local sports delegation in Hunan and a Uruguayan basketball team will soon arrive in Chengdu for training and exchanges. "With more Uruguayan sports teams visiting China, sports cooperation between our two countries will become closer in the future," said Consul General Facundo, "sports play a crucial role in building the bridge of friendship between China and Uruguay. We look forward to facilitating our friendship using various sports programs."

Manual de Fútbol para Niños y Niñas promotion and campus football exchange activity

In addition to their passions for sports, literature, and art also work to connect the peoples of China and Uruguay for both countries have brilliant and rich history of art. After a long period of preparation, this year, Consul General Facundo and his mother, a famous Uruguayan writer and poet Silvia Guerra, visited many cities in China and co-organized a series of cultural exchange activities with local governments and institutions in forms of poetry, photography, painting, music, etc., bringing feasts of art. At various activities, Silvia Guerra recited classic works of Uruguayan poets affectionately and discussed possibilities for cultural exchanges between China and Uruguay with many Chinese writers and artists. Consul General Facundo believes that art is a lingua franca for cross-cultural communication and it can help people from different countries to establish social connections and deepen mutual understanding.

Meanwhile, as the cultural exchanges between China and Uruguay become increasingly close, famous Uruguayan football stars such as Suárez and Cavani are now very popular in China, while crazes for the Chinese language, Tai Chi and Kung Fu are constantly heating up in Uruguay. In 2017, Uruguay established its first Confucius Institute, and the following year, China unveiled its first Uruguayan research centre. Later, Guangzhou Library signed a friendly agreement with the National Library of Uruguay (Biblioteca Nacional de Uruguay), which is also the first friendly agreement signed between Guangzhou Library and libraries in Latin America. In-depth cooperation in multiple areas such as translation, digitization, information and literature, and academic exchanges are being carried out on both sides; Shantou University and the University of the Republic of Uruguay have also signed an MOU. As a representative, the Consulate General of Uruguay in Guangzhou donated a batch of literary, calligraphy, and painting books to contribute to the "Uruguay Space" at Shantou University.

Inauguration ceremony of "espacio uruguayo" (Uruguayan Space) in Shantou University

In addition, Uruguay has fantastic beaches and sunsets, good beef and rich wine, tango, and candombe, two major music forms listed in the United Nations Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Consul General Facundo passionately introduced Uruguayan culture and the sparks in the cultural exchanges to our journalists. When it comes to Chinese culture, he says that it is all-inclusive with astonishing diversity, and cannot be concluded in simple words. "But I can say that I believe in energy, and the millennia-old energy of China is a hidden power that gives the city its unique vibrance, which you can feel just by walking in the streets."

Stable and far-reaching China-Uruguay relations

2023 marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Uruguay. In November of that year, during Uruguayan President Lacalle’s visit to China, the heads of the two countries jointly announced that China-Uruguay relations would be upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This provided a strong impetus for China-Latin America cooperation and China-South cooperation. In the conversation with President Lacalle, President Xi emphasized the keys to the sustainable development of China-Uruguay relations: mutual respect, equal treatment, and reciprocal cooperation. "That visit, also an historical visit, was prepared a whole year for all the agendas, big or small," explained Consul General Facundo, "and the 23 agreements signed by China and Uruguay represent the enhancement of bilateral relations, as well as the trust and commitments of both sides to each other."

In fact, Uruguay is the first Latin American and Caribbean country to express its willingness to join the Belt and Road Initiative, and also the first to sign a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road cooperation with China among all the members of the Southern Common Market. Nowadays, China is Uruguay's largest trading partner and the largest importer of its beef, soybeans, and wool, and accounts for nearly one-third of Uruguay's total exports. In 2022, the trade volume between the two countries has reached about 60 times that of the year of diplomatic relations establishment, and the cooperation between the two countries is still growing.

The mutual trust and exchange between these two countries in the field of economy and trade are credited with a more and more smooth road from the Uruguayan grasslands to Chinese dining tables. In recent years, Uruguayan beef products featuring pure natural, free range, and intelligently traceable characteristics have become the "stars" at expositions. According to staff at the expositions, Uruguayan beef manufacturers have actively adjusted their feeding and production methods to meet the taste of Chinese consumers. The beef is exclusive customisation.

Uruguayan wine, milk, and other specialty products

"Uruguay recognized the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative early on," said Consul General Facundo, "the initiative benefits more than international trade and investment, it is significant for small economies like Uruguay. We have always advocated for the openness of international trade, including improving international connectivity, infrastructure, and trade facilitation, so we believe that the Belt and Road Initiative coincides with Uruguay's advocacy."

On such a basis, China-Uruguay cooperation in infrastructure, energy, scientific research, and other fields is going full speed ahead. The Uruguayan meteorological satellite mobile reception and processing system built with China's assistance has effectively improved Uruguay's level of meteorological observation and its ability to cope with climate change; enterprises of the two countries have signed a 500-kilovolt power transmission and transformation ring network closure project, which helps Uruguay build a more resilient national power transmission network and the China-Uruguay Soybean Research and Innovation Laboratory jointly developed as a part of the Belt and Road Initiative has made encouraging progress ...... Consul General Facundo also disclosed a piece of good news in the interview: China and Uruguay are building a joint laboratory for bio- and nano-pharmaceuticals, another achievement of China-Uruguay academic and scientific cooperation over the years, and a clear sample of how bilateral projects can move into the future and gain sustainable development.

The cooperation pattern between China and Uruguay provides a model for the cooperation between China and other countries. As China-Uruguay relations continue to improve, the two countries have established 13 pairs of twin provinces and cities, contributing greatly to local trade, culture, and personnel exchanges. "This has enhanced the connections between countries, and more importantly, cooperation and friendship are established between provinces and cities," Consul General Facundo further pointed out,"even among the people." Although China and Uruguay are geographically distant, the bilateral relationship characterised by mutual respect, equal treatment, and reciprocal cooperation has not only created opportunities for both sides to promote economic growth and social development, but also built bridges of friendship for the two people through open, inclusive, and sincere dialogue. This is precisely the key to the deeper, more practical, more stable, and further cooperation between China and Uruguay.

In the end, Consul General Facundo expressed his warm congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic of China and the 103rd anniversary of the Communist Party of China's establishment, and inscribed a message to Outlook New Era: Thank you for helping us to promote Uruguay in Guangzhou through your readers community. It's our great pleasure to count on you as Consulate and Uruguay's great friends!

Consul General Facundo's inscription to Outlook New Era

Article: Chen Xinyan, Lyanna Yee, Terry Luo (intern)

Picture, Photography and Videography: Consulate General of Uruguay in Guangzhou, Lu Baikang (intern), Terry Luo (intern)