When the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, visited the People’s Republic of China in 2018, he noticed one of the books provided to his friend about travel, which arrives and is warmly received: “Bringing the impressive history of this huge country closer” is “an extraordinary opportunity”.
He put it this way because, in his opinion, the history of the Asian giant is “the basis of an ancient civilization whose cultural and historical values have endured over time and are a legacy not only of China but of all mankind. “
In these words there was the importance that this distant and friendly nation has for the island, which in these hours again becomes a special host. It is recalled that President Díaz-Canel Bermúdez recently conveyed the warmest congratulations to his counterpart Xi Jinping on his re-election as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China at the recently concluded Twentieth Congress of that political organization; and that the Asian dignitary formally invited the Cuban President shortly after the conclusion of the important conclave.
Today, Cuba and China, although each country has its own characteristics, are references in what has to do with building socialism. And between the two nations there is a will that definitely binds them firmly: despite the most complex international contexts, both have cultivated and defended friendships and for more than sixty years they have been able to build deep cooperative relationships in many areas.
Cooperation in the field of biotechnology, for example, is an area characterized by maturity; and currently there is no area that is not directly connected to the exchange of fluids between both countries. The People’s Republic of China is the island’s second-largest trading partner in the world.
On September 28, 1960, the Greater Antilles became the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. In November of the same year, a Cuban delegation led by Ernesto Che Guevara visited the Asian giant and from that moment economic, scientific and technological cooperation agreements and bilateral trade were born.
The character of this beginning of relations persists to this day: the ongoing exchange of high-level visits has cemented dialogue and political trust between the two nations. And over time, the important coincidences at the political level have been permanent notes, as have mutual support in international forums and mutual exchanges on the respective processes of socialist construction.
This harmony has not been compromised even in moments as difficult as the emergence of the Covid-19 epidemic, a scourge that has been an opportunity to increase solidarity and support between the two governments, since China’s harsh experience has allowed Cuba to prepare early and establish their own health protocols.
The history of cooperation, admiration and respect between Cuba and China is undoubtedly a true reference on a global scale. Many historical and cultural events were the elements that formed a solid relationship.
For example, following the physical disappearance of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Army General Raúl Castro Ruz – then President of the Republic of Cuba – in which he said: “I have met Comrade Fidel Castro on many occasions and conducted intensive conversations with him. His authentic knowledge and deep insight inspired me, and his voice and looks live on in my memory. He will be greatly missed by me and the Chinese people.”
Elsewhere in his message, the President stated: “The death of comrade Fidel Castro is a great loss for the Cuban and Latin American people. The Cuban and Latin American people have lost an excellent son, and the Chinese people have lost a close comrade and true friend. His glorious image and great achievements will go down in history.”
The keys to such an endearing closeness should be sought in history itself, in addition to the attitude of great men to history: Cuba began having a Chinese presence in its country from the 16th century, although the most notable migrations occurred from the 19th century.
The children of the Asian continent cast their lot on the island as true children: forever; and as such they naturally took part in the libertarian acts of the Caribbean country. An obelisk dedicated to the Chinese soldier in Cuba, erected in the capital’s forbidden zone in 1931, testifies to the pride that also leads to a long path of friendship and intimacy.
At the top of this obelisk is a sentence that seals the best trust to read: “There was no Cuban-Chinese deserter, there was no Cuban-Chinese traitor.” And who would doubt that a universe of affections is enshrined in the expression that unites two demonyms?