He China-Latin America Industrial Park (Picla) is a project that aims to strengthen cooperation between the two regions in strategic sectors, leveraging e-commerce technology, logistics and financial services, as well as culture and education. Cuba is the host country of this initiative, which was launched simultaneously this week in Hangzhou, China, and Havana, Cuba.
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero attended the event in Hangzhou, capital of China’s Zhejiang province, and stressed that Picla could mark a milestone in economic relations between China and Latin America. He added that the project will cover areas such as agribusiness, renewable energy, e-commerce, tourism and others that are in line with the development priorities of both parties.
In Havana, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference of Zhejiang, Xu Ming, recalled that Cuba was the first Latin American country to establish relations with China and that friendly relations have been maintained and expanded to the economic and commercial level.
On behalf of Picla, Chenh Binjie reported that the platform has 53 established companies and another 15 companies interested in joining, as well as 10 investment projects in sectors such as light industry, logistics, wholesale and retail, automobile, medical services, real estate, etc. and industrial manufacturing.
He assured that Picla will promote industrial complementarity and create a high-quality investment environment and development opportunities, as it is an important platform for Chinese companies seeking to expand into the Cuban market.
During Picla’s presentation in Havana, Cuban Vice Minister of Culture Fernando León told Prensa Latina that Cuba is making available its capacity, space and opportunities to communicate with Latin America to serve as a starting point for business between the two regions.
A project with endless possibilities, he continued, that would facilitate access to the huge Chinese market of 1.3 billion people while allowing the internationalization of Cuban products and services through the Asian giant’s relationships with other countries.
It is an opportunity for China to engage with Latin America to export its products and services. In this way, it could become an 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.
Cuban music-led cultural services could also be circulated; 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.”
For his part, the Government of Havana’s Coordinator for Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment, Cooperation and International Relations, Luis Carlos Góngora, believes that Pical is a transcendent opportunity for the country, especially for the participating provinces: Havana, Camagüey, Matanzas and Pinar del Rio.
Another possibility, he said, would be a food processing industry focused primarily 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.
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.
Photo: Taken by Xinhua