An opportunity missed: the attempts to establish ties between Uruguay and the People’s Republic of China, 1955–6

This article analyses the Uruguayan government’s contact with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1955–6, highlighting the factors that both facilitated and hindered this rapprochement. Despite Luis Batlle Berres’s efforts to seek commercial agreements and advocate for the PRC’s inclusion in the United Nations, the Global Cold War and its influence on Uruguay’s domestic politics ultimately thwarted the establishment of formal diplomatic relations. The study draws on primary sources from Uruguay and China to reveal the complex interaction between global and local dynamics, emphasising how tensions and ideological divisions led to missed opportunities for economic cooperation and diplomatic relations.