Brothers in arms

China and Cuba are working together to combat the novel coronavirus and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind

Although they are separated by a long distance, China and Cuba share a long tradition of friendship. Cuba took the lead among countries in the Western Hemisphere to establish diplomatic relations with New China. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cuba and China’s relations with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Facing the sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus, China and Cuba have worked together in the same boat to support and help each other, opening up a new chapter in the friendship between the two countries and implementing the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind with their true feelings.

After the outbreak, Army General Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel were among the first leaders of Latin American countries to send messages to President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, to express their sympathy and praise the anti-pandemic measures taken by China.

President Diaz-Canel paid a special visit to the Chinese embassy in Cuba to extend his sympathy and support. President Xi and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked over the phone with President Diaz-Canel and Wang’s counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, respectively, reiterating the two countries would extend mutual support and reached a consensus on anti-pandemic cooperation.

About 800 Cuban people stayed in China with local residents and fought against the pandemic together. Cuba donated 30,000 antibacterial soaps to China even when the country itself was short of such supplies. These donations traveled a long distance and were distributed to residents in Huanggang city, Hubei province, one of the regions hit hardest by the novel coronavirus in China.

When the virus spread to Cuba, the whole of Chinese society was quick to assist the Cuban people to the best of their abilities. The Chinese government dispatched batches of various anti-pandemic supplies urgently needed by Cuba and non-governmental organizations from Chinese provinces, municipalities, as well as enterprises and Red Cross societies mobilized resources to offer Cuba a helping hand.

China and Latin American and Caribbean countries have also held videoconferences, such as Special Video Conference of China and Latin American and Caribbean Countries’ Foreign Ministers on COVID-19 and other specialized video conferences, in which ministerial officials and experts from the two countries shared their respective anti-pandemic experiences without reservation.

Along with safeguarding the health and safety of their own peoples, both China and Cuba have contributed much to the global fight against the pandemic. China has donated anti-pandemic supplies to more than 150 countries, regions and international organizations, opening up channels for these countries to purchase materials in China and sent medical teams to assist various countries. Cuba on its part has sent 52 medical teams, consisting of about 4,000 medics, to 39 countries and regions across the globe.

The two countries have vividly demonstrated the connotations of a community with a shared future for mankind with their practical actions and injected positive energy into the global anti-pandemic cooperation.

Their anti-pandemic cooperation once again proves that the two countries are trust worthy good friends, good comrades and good brothers who share weal and woe, setting an example for other countries to jointly cope with global challenges.

Both China and Cuba are socialist countries, and the China-Cuba friendship has a solid political foundation and has withstood the vicissitudes of the international situation. Standing at the new starting point of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and guided by the important consensus between President Xi and President Diaz-Canel, both sides are working to further inherit and carry forward their traditional friendship and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields. The ship of ChinaCuba friendship will continue to brave the wind and waves as well as sail steadily for a long way.

The state leaders of the two countries have pointed out the direction for the future of the China-Cuba relations. The two sides will continue to maintain highlevel exchanges, deepen mutual political trust, and lead the sustainable and stable development of bilateral relations.

The two countries will continue to steadfastly carry out mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. Being important trading partners with each other for many years, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative in 2018. Under the framework of the initiative, the two countries will dock their development strategies and promote practical cooperation and exchanges in various fields such as trade, investment, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure construction and tourism, so as to create more opportunities for their development.

Chinese enterprises will also play a more active role in Cuba’s economic development, promoting exchanges and cooperation, and constantly yielding fruitful results for the benefit of both peoples.

The two countries will firmly remain partners in reform and development. China unswervingly supports Cuba to take the socialist road and is willing to strengthen exchanges on governance and administration of state affairs and socialist construction and learn from and support each other in the process of each other’s own reform.

The friendship over the past 60 years has yielded fruitful results. Looking to the future, China and Cuba will keep forging ahead. The socialist cause of the two countries and the brotherhood of the two peoples are expected to usher in a more brilliant future when the pandemic ends.

The author is the Chinese ambassador to Cuba. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

DAILY CHINA / YU SHI