Xi exchanges congratulatory messages with Cuban leaders

President Xi Jinping said on Monday that he highly values the unique friendship between China and Cuba and stands ready to help make the two countries good friends, good comrades and good brothers forever.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark in congratulatory messages exchanged with Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

In his message to Castro, Xi noted that Cuba was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and that bilateral ties have 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 deepening, and bilateral practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, Xi said, adding that the two countries have stood together and joined hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has raised their traditional friendship to a higher level.

In his congratulatory message to Diaz-Canel, Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Cuba relations, and stands ready to work with Diaz-Canel to continuously deepen political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation in various fields to create more benefits for both countries and their people.

Castro said in his message that Cuba has always maintained sincere friendship with brotherly China, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people. He also thanked China for its firm support.

Diaz-Canel said in his congratulatory message that in the face of the pandemic, Cuba and China have been committed to unity and cooperation, pooling resources to save lives, taking scientific prevention and control measures and undertaking international cooperation.

Premier Li Keqiang also exchanged congratulatory messages with his Cuban counterpart, Manuel Marrero, on Monday.

Li said in the message that China will work with Cuba to build the Belt and Road and push forward anti-pandemic cooperation between the two sides, so as to promote China-Cuba relations in the new era to sound and sustainable development and continuously raise their ties to new levels.

Marrero expressed his warmest congratulations to China on behalf of the Cuban government and people, adding that Cuba stands ready to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China and bring it to a higher level.

Xinhua - China Daily