Diaz-Canel first LatAm leader to visit since congress

No matter how the international situation evolves, China will not change its position to uphold its long-term friendship with Cuba, its resolve to support Cuba in pursuing a socialist path, and its strong will to work with Cuba to uphold international fairness and justice and oppose hegemony and power politics, President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in talks with Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and Cuban president in Beijing.

Xi said that China will continue to firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty, oppose external interference and embargoes, and work with Cuba to implement the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative to jointly promote global peace and development.

Diaz-Canel was in Beijing on a three-day state visit from Thursday. He is the first head of state from Latin America and the Caribbean to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

Xi held a grand welcoming ceremony for the Cuban leader on Friday morning. Following their talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a series of agreements on the countries' pragmatic cooperation, including one on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. A joint statement on deepening bilateral ties in the new era was released after their meeting.

During their talks, Xi hailed the special friendship between China and Cuba, and said that Cuba was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with China in the Western Hemisphere, and their relationship has set an example for socialist countries promoting unity and cooperation and for developing countries helping each other with sincerity.

China stands ready to constantly intensify political mutual trust with Cuba, expand pragmatic cooperation, support each other on the issues related to their core interests, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and march on the socialist path with their own characteristics hand in hand in order to deepen bilateral ties in the new era, he said.

Xi briefed the Cuban leader about the 20th CPC National Congress, and underlined the need for the two parties to maintain close communication, strengthen exchanges and enhance mutual learning to promote theoretical innovation of socialism for progress in practice.

Noting that China and Cuba are good friends who trust each other, good comrades who are like-minded and good brothers who help each other in difficulties, Xi said that China always views its relations with Cuba as well as the two parties' relations from a strategic perspective, and always puts its relations with Cuba in a unique position in its overall development of foreign relations.

Under the new circumstances, the two countries need to enhance strategic coordination and join hands to build a China-Cuba community with a shared future, he said.

Xi also talked about cooperation between China and Latin America and the Caribbean, saying that in nature, it's South-South cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results, and characterized by openness and inclusiveness for the purpose of common development.

Such cooperation abides by the overarching trend of the world and history and conforms to the shared interests of the countries in the region, he said. China is willing to work with countries from Latin America and the Caribbean to advance high-quality cooperation on the joint building of the Belt and Road to deliver more benefits to their peoples, he added.

The Cuban leader extended his congratulations to Xi on his reelection as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and on the historic achievements that socialism with Chinese characteristics has made under Xi's leadership.

Confronted by the complex and grave political and economic situation, Cuba will take China as an example to prevail over challenges to secure its goals in socialist construction, he said.

Saying that developing relations with China is a top priority in Cuba's diplomatic policy, he reaffirmed its commitment to the one-China principle and its support for the China-proposed BRI, GDI and GSI.

Also on Friday, the Cuban leader met with Premier Li Keqiang and Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature.