China and Uruguay signed deals in finance, tourism, science and technology as well as contracts for local goods worth more than half a billion dollars, authorities said on Wednesday.

The deals were inked during a visit by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who arrived in the small South American nation of just over three million people on Wednesday.

On a tour that also took him to Cuba, Xi met here with President Jose Mujica. They signed deals under which Beijing will buy $528 million in exports from Uruguay, which lies between Argentina and Brazil on the Atlantic.

China's purchases include soybeans, wool and bone meal, as well as paper pulp and dairy products. China is Uruguay's number two trade partner after neighbouring Brazil.