President of China arrives in Cuba

The president of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, arrived in Havana Monday night (July 21) in an official visit designed to strengthen the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation that bind both countries.

The Chinese chief of state was welcomed at José Martí International Airport by Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministry.

In a written statement given to the media, the Chinese leader said that Cuba is a country with weight in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“For more than half a century, under the leadership of the Communist Party, the Cuban people have remained on the road of socialism, firmly safeguarding the sovereignty of the state and performing arduous efforts to propel economic growth,” he said.

The president of the Asian giant also said that the standard of living of the Cuban people has risen and they have achieved successes that have been acknowledged worldwide in all fields of economic and social development.

“We formulate sincere wishes for Cuba to conquer unceasingly new triumphs on the road of the construction of socialism,” he added.

He also underscored the excellent state of the bilateral ties and said that they constitute an example of the unity and cooperation among the developing countries.

“In the year 1960, Cuba was the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to establish diplomatic relations with China, which initiated a new era for the development of the links between China and the countries of the region,” he recalled.

As to the objectives of his stay in Cuba, he said that he expects to do a global balance of the experiences of the development of the bilateral ties and to plan, long-range, the future of same.

“I am convinced that, with the joint efforts of both parties, this visit will meet the purposes of fostering friendship, deepen mutual trust, expand cooperation and impel development, opening a new stage of the friendly cooperation for mutual benefit between China and Cuba,” he said.

During his stay, Xi Jinping will hold official talks with the President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Army Gen. Raúl Castro Ruz. He will also visit place of socio-economic and cultural interest.

China is Cuba’s second commercial partner and an important source of financing for joint enterprises in multiple spheres.

(Translated by Progreso Weekly. Photo of First Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and Chinese President Xi Jinping from Cubadebate.)