BEIJING, Nov. 22 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou in Beijing on Wednesday.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Uruguay, and the fifth anniversary of Uruguay's joining in the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi said, noting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have adhered to mutual respect, equal treatment and win-win cooperation.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, the two countries helped each other and worked together to fight the pandemic, and bilateral strategic partnership has been upgraded, Xi said.

China is ready to work with Uruguay to take the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership as a new starting point to upgrade bilateral relations and enrich the connotation of bilateral cooperation, and to make China-Uruguay relations a model for solidarity and cooperation between countries of different sizes, systems and cultures, better serve the development of the two countries, and improve the well-being of the two peoples, he said.

Xi elaborated on the connotations and significance of Chinese modernization, saying that China is willing to strengthen exchanges on governance with Uruguay, enhance political mutual trust, share development opportunities, and promote the modernization of the two countries and the world.

He called on the two sides to step up friendly exchanges and cooperation among legislatures, political parties and localities; take the signing of the Belt and Road cooperation plan as an opportunity to enhance the synergy of development strategies; foster new drivers of cooperation on trade in services, the digital economy and clean energy; and push China-Uruguay Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of high-quality development.

Xi pointed out that China and Uruguay share similar ideas and have common interests and broad consensus on many international and regional issues. He said the two sides can strengthen their coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and work together to make the world more peaceful, prosperous and just.

China attaches great importance to the development of China-Latin America relations, appreciates Uruguay's active participation in overall China-Latin America cooperation, supports Mercosur (Southern Common Market) and other regional organizations in maintaining close political dialogue and economic and trade cooperation with China, and hopes that Uruguay will continue to promote China-Latin America cooperation and cooperation between China and Mercosur, Xi said.

Lacalle said that the Uruguayan government recognizes that there is only one China in the world, and that peaceful reunification is an internal affair of China and must be decided by the Chinese people themselves.

Both Uruguay and China firmly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and are committed to promoting world peace and stability, he said, noting that Uruguay-China relations have gone beyond the economy and trade, and shown sound multi-dimensional and high-level development momentum.

He noted that Uruguay actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative; advocates for the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi; and hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in the fields of the economy, trade, science and technology, sports and tourism.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of the Belt and Road cooperation plan, and bilateral cooperation documents related to such fields as trade and investment, the digital economy, green development, agriculture, health, education, culture, scientific and technological innovation, and customs inspection and quarantine.

During Lacalle's visit to China, the two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership.