By Teyuné Díaz Díaz Business Editor, Prensa Latina
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” is the Chinese expression that guides this project based on e-commerce technology, logistics and financial services, as well as the educational-cultural field. A new opportunity for exchange and cooperation, not just economically.
The presentation of the platform was almost in unison between China and Cuba. Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero took part in Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province. Meanwhile, in Havana, the Vice President of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference of this municipality, Xu Ming, presided.
From Hangzhou, Marrero emphasized that the project, due to its comprehensiveness and size, can represent a before and after in economic relations, specifying that it will cover the agri-food sector (especially agricultural machinery), renewable energy, electronic commerce, tourism, etc others according to development priorities.
Meanwhile, in Havana, Xu recalled that Cuba was the first Latin American country to establish relations with China, whose traditional friendly ties are maintained thanks to the joint efforts of governments and peoples and extend to economic and commercial cooperation.
On Picla’s behalf, Chenh Binjie explained that the platform has 53 established companies so far and another 15 have expressed interest in joining. In addition, it has 10 investment projects in the areas of light industry, logistics, wholesale and retail, and automobile. medical services, real estate and industrial manufacturing. Picla, he assured, will promote complementarity in the industrial structure and contribute to the creation of a high-quality investment environment and development opportunities, a crucial platform for those Chinese companies that want to expand into the Cuban market.
FROM HAVANA
During Picla’s presentation in Havana, Cuban Vice Minister of Culture Fernando León told Prensa Latina that the island – in its capacity as host – offers its capacity, space and possibilities to articulate with Latin America and can become a hub of culture Departure to establish business between both geographical areas.
A project with endless possibilities, he continued, since it would facilitate access to the huge Chinese market of 1.3 billion people while allowing Cuban products and services to be transnationalized through the Asian giant’s relationships with other countries.
For China, he emphasized, it is a way to connect with Latin America to export its products and services. In this way it could become a kind of intercontinental hub with endless possibilities to exploit the potential and take serious action in the face of a project of this magnitude.
In the field of culture, one of Picla’s axes, the possibility opens up to produce and distribute Cuban art products, emphasized the vice minister.
A leading product line would be the Arte en Casa items, which were originally marketed on the island and have great external market potential for audiences in China and other countries.
It would also allow Cuban cultural services to circulate with a focus on music; In addition, there would be artistic training, dance, ballet and visual arts, said León.
But the most important thing is that Picla comes precisely on the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, “which will allow us to prepare for the creation of a consolidated platform for the 65th anniversary of bilateral relations in 2025.”
DEMONSTRATIONS IN CUBA
To further clarify aspects of the platform’s potential in Cuba, Prensa Latina spoke with the Government of Havana’s Coordinator for Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment, Cooperation and International Relations, Luis Carlos Góngora.
According to Góngora, it is a tremendous opportunity for the country and especially for the participating provinces: Havana, Camagüey, Matanzas and Pinar del Río.
It is a different way of establishing bilateral economic relations and business exchanges in a mutually beneficial interaction that goes beyond cooperation, although it takes place within this framework. The idea is to make Cuba a platform for Latin America, with plans to expand to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Mexico.
From the capital government, he said, it was proposed to work in the industrial park and focus on the production of construction materials to influence the housing construction program and thus exports. All this by using national raw materials to reduce production costs and add greater value to national production.
Another possibility, he said, would be a food processing industry focused particularly on condiments and spices; Take advantage of endogenous resources by exploiting the capital’s lands and industries, thus supplying the national market and exporting products of Cuban origin.
The project has a different focus, he reiterated; This is not a relationship between companies, but rather a platform that provides a protective and stimulating umbrella for those interested in investing in and influencing their developments in the two countries.
Picla is a virtual platform but real. A business environment with exchange rate relations, special financial mechanisms between the two countries, including the possibility of exchanging into national currencies and moving away from the monopolistic dollar market, he emphasized.
In addition, it offers training and preparation for joint business processes and the development of business-related logistics structures. There is a political effort that benefits both parties, he emphasized.
On the possibilities of Picla to introduce innovation projects developed by the Science and Technology Park (PCT) of Havana, Prensa Latina spoke with its Vice President Héctor Rodríguez, who said that it is a novel economic initiative between Cuba and China.
Rodríguez said Picla will contribute to the expansion of technology-based ventures already on the PCT through alliances with Chinese ICT companies, growth in commercial innovation themes, opening up to other markets and exports, and building alliances with technology parks and Chinese companies.
It is an ambitious initiative that covers various sectors such as research, development and innovation in the field of digital transformation; or the development of computers, software and telecommunications, stated Rodríguez.
The PCT, he explained, is located on the campus of the University of Computer Science, it is an innovation ecosystem to promote technology-based projects and companies in the ICT sector and create incentives that allow achieving impactful results.
The director of territorial development in the province of Pinar del Río, Jesús Alberto Gorgoy, told Prensa Latina that he sees Picla as one of Cuba’s links within the Belt and Road Initiative, with measures that go beyond the macroeconomic national intentions important solutions at territorial and local levels.
This, he commented, would enable involvement in international circles in the context of finding solutions to local problems.
In the short term, Pinar del Río is working on the assembly of electric transport, tricycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, bicycles and chairs for people with disabilities and will also create jobs, among other things, with the aim of helping young people find an employment project in the province. Life, “but we are still at the beginning of the path.”
One of the priorities, he assured, will be working with renewable energies to contribute from the territories to transforming the country’s energy matrix.
At the local level, actions could be carried out that contribute to local, territorial and national development and it seems that we have found a good partner with similar principles to ours, putting people at the center and increasing the quality of life of citizenship.
I believe that with Picla, the province of Pinar del Río will make progress in important areas of economic and social development.
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