Cuba defines its relationship with China as “long-term” and “high priority”

Havana, 23 Mar Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel underlined Wednesday his country's interest in deepening and strengthening relations with China, a “long-term” and “high priority” commitment for Havana. Diaz-Canel made these statements by speaking virtually at a seminar of the Communist Party of Cuba (CCP) and the Communist Party of China (CCP), where he advocated learning from each other's experiences. He stated that the Cuban Government and the CCP have the “will” to continue “deepening the endearing friendship” that unites his country with China and the CCP, a friendship with “historical roots”, with “a long-term vision”, “high priority” and “a benchmark for cooperation between two socialist and developing countries.” The Cuban president also highlighted that in his exchanges with Chinese President Xi Jinping, they have reached “important consensus” to promote “the integral development of bilateral ties, including inter-party relations.” He further considered that “the best expression” of what “unites” China and Cuba are “the common challenges, ideological identification, political trust and maturity that characterize the bonds of friendship between our nations”. “In the construction of socialism with its own characteristics, which you and we undertake, we have also considered ourselves as mutual references,” he said. Díaz-Canel appreciated Beijing's decision to seek to become a global leader in scientific, technological and theoretical innovation and recalled the decision of the Eighth Congress of the CCP to support science and innovation. The Cuban president also reiterated his country's “unquestionable right” to “exist as a sovereign and independent nation” and to “creatively resist the combined effect of the pandemic and an intensified blockade,” referring to US sanctions. “We equally reject hegemonism, unilateral and unjust sanctions, the claim to impose a single model in the world and unfounded campaigns of discrediting, while defending the validity of multilateralism and the principles of international law,” he said. CHIEF jpm/laa