Cuban and Chinese party officials share theories and actions

Mercedes López Acea, first secretary of the Communist Party in Havana and vice president of the Council of State, this week attended the first seminar on Communist Party theory between Cuba and China.

During her stay in Beijing, López held talks with Guo Jinlong, head of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing and member of the Chinese Politburo. López is a member of the Cuban Politburo.

She also met with Liu Yunshan, one of the seven members of the Permanent Committee of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.

This was the first seminar on theory held in the 54 years that the two Communist Parties have maintained relations. The purpose, López said, was to share the mutual experiences of the Party’s role in the economic and social transformations occurring in Cuba and China.

López told Prensa Latina that the Cuban Communist Party needs to be well prepared to conduct those transformation, so she considered her talks with the Chinese officials “useful and favorable.”

She was quoted by Xinhua, the Chinese news agency, as saying that “Cuba is actively updating its economic model and is ready to learn from China through exchanges between the communist parties so as to jointly advance the socialist cause.”

Her delegation included social science researchers and a group entrusted with the implementation of the guidelines for reform approved by the Sixth Congress of the Cuban Communist Party in April 2011.

Liu said that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Cuba in July was of great significance for improving friendly relations between the two countries. China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Cuba in all areas, he added.

Liu agreed with López that it is of great importance for the ruling Communist Parties of both countries to emphasize the crucial role of the Party and exercise strict self-control within it.

(With information from Prensa Latina and Xinhua.)