Xi eyes permanent friendship with Cuba
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping says he highly values the unique friendship between China and Cuba and is ready to help make the two countries good comrades forever.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks yesterday in congratulatory messages exchanged with Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, and Cuban President Miguel DiazCanel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.
In his message to Castro, Xi noted that Cuba is the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and that bilateral ties had over the past 60 years withstood the vicissitudes of the international situation and grown ever stronger.
“Political mutual trust between China and Cuba has been continuously deepened and bilateral practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results,” Xi said.
He added that the two countries had stood together to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, which raised their traditional friendship to a higher level. Xi said he was keen to maintain close communication with Castro and take the 60th anniversary as an opportunity to help the two countries stay as “good friends, good comrades and good brothers” forever.
In his congratulatory message to DiazCanel, Xi said since the two countries established diplomatic ties 60 years ago, China and Cuba had forged a profound friendship rooited in mutual trust, understanding and support.
“In recent years, China-Cuba friendly cooperation has been deepening in an all-round way, including active collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative, which has brought concrete benefits to the people of both countries,” Xi noted.
On his part, Castro said in the message that Cuba was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with China and had always maintained a sincere friendship with China.
“Cuba thanks China for its firm support and is fully convinced that the 60-year-old friendship between our two countries will be passed down from generation to generation and last forever,” he added.