The billionaire founder of Alibaba spent three days in the country and visited a refrigerator.
Jack MaChinese billionaire and founder of Alibaba, the ecommerce platform that competes with Amazon in Asia, visited Uruguay for business reasons and would be analyzing invest in the country’s meat sector.
The view of the Chinese investor did not go unnoticed by the different sectors linked to production, exports and, of course, also politics. His three-day visit, without pompous receptions or protocol photos as it was a completely private trip -accompanied by a commercial secretary from the Chinese embassy in Uruguay-, could generate a really important impact in the country, as reported Blasina and Associates.
In the national territory, Ma would have toured the refrigerator Solis Meat, in Lavalleja, as well as a field of Maldonado. The signs are clear: the Chinese tycoon would be interested in investing in Uruguayan meat, thus further strengthening the ties between the two countries in a way that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)constantly delayed, would not be able to achieve.
“Meat has recognized attributes and origins, and more and more Chinese companies are engaged in other areas but are interested in starting to participate in the meat business,” said the businessman who received Jack Ma and who preferred to keep the details of the visit on reservation, according to Montevideo Portal.
The impact of Ma in Uruguay
Ma is not the first Chinese businessman who, in recent times, has toured the country with the aim of analyzing different business possibilities. However, his presence in a local refrigerator can make a difference with his compatriots, and be one of the most important events of 2023, according to Eduardo Blasina.
Mainly, for the imprint that the meat sector can take on relations with China. On the one hand, Uruguay is a more reliable supplier than Argentina in political terms; and, on the other, it offers greater health guarantees than Brazil, since no cases of “mad cow” —neither typical nor atypical— have been detected in the country.
If to this is added the sustainable production that is promoted in the territory —a fact that neither China nor Ma goes unnoticed—, Uruguay is much more than an attractive investment and a relevant player in the international market.
Of course, there are still more uncertainties than certainties surrounding Ma’s visit and what may come of it. But in a context in which the government is still struggling to sign the FTA with the Asian giant and with the recent precedent of the suspension of Brazilian beef exports —covered with the production of Rio de Janeiro-based meat processing companies that operate in Uruguay, with prices that have been affirming for seven weeks, although the country obtained permission to resume placements—, the hypothetical investment of the Chinese billionaire could mean a new chapter for the national meat sector, as well as for bilateral relations with China.
Source: Ambito
