The structure will allow the repair of Panamax-type ships and was manufactured within 18 months by the Chinese firm National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC), headquartered in Shanghai.

With a cost of 34 million dollars, it is 240 meters long, 48 meters wide, and a lifting capacity of 22,000 tons.

This work allows us to respond to the growing demand of our fleet and at the same time focus on the export of services, said Johannes Milian, general manager of the Cuban shipyards Caribbean Drydock Company (CDC), located in Havana Bay.

Repairs to vessels from other nations will help finance their purchase, Milian said during the delivery ceremony at CDC’s dock.

For his part, Yan Dong, assistant general of CMC, emphasized that the dock will give a great boost to the work in the Cuban shipyard, while predicting greater cooperation between the two companies.

Eighty-five percent of its financing comes from a preferential loan granted by the Chinese government.

(Prensa Latina)

China’s ambassador in Havana, Chen Xi, conveyed a message from the country’s President, Xi Jinping, thanking Cuba and expressing his commitment to further strengthening the historic ties shared by the two nations.

Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa insisted that “Present and future generations of the Cuban and Chinese people will preserve the valuable legacy of our friendship,” recalling the 60 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations and cooperation the two nations have maintained.

Among the cultural performances presented at the event was one by the Cuban School of Wushu.

(Granma)

China’s ambassador in Havana, Chen Xi, conveyed a message from the country’s President, Xi Jinping, thanking Cuba and expressing his commitment to further strengthening the historic ties shared by the two nations.

Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa insisted that “Present and future generations of the Cuban and Chinese people will preserve the valuable legacy of our friendship,” recalling the 60 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations and cooperation the two nations have maintained.

Among the cultural performances presented at the event was one by the Cuban School of Wushu.

(Granma)

Raul is one of six individuals who were awarded the Friendship Medal, the highest state honor conferred on friends in other nations for their contributions in support of China’s socialist modernization and international cooperation with the country, and promoting world peace.

The granting of this important distinction to the Army General confirms the excellent state of relations between China and Cuba. As Raúl expressed at a meeting of leaders from China and Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Brasilia, on July 17, 2014, “More than half a century of cooperation with this country have allowed us to move forward in the development of a model relationship, which has stood the test of time.”

The medal is part of a recognition system created in 2017 and is the highest honor that the President of China grants to dignitaries and foreign friends for the merits cited above. Russian leader Vladimir Putin was the first to receive the distinction in June of 2018.

Xi Jinping presented the Republic and Friendship medals, plus other honorary titles in the context of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the People’s Republic of China’s founding.

(Granma)

Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 was an act of historical justice and an expression of the peaceful spirit of the People’s Republic of China, despite having been victim of the imposition of unequal treaties by imperialist powers.

Since then, while holding its current status, Hong Kong has been an inseparable part of the People’s Republic of China and has managed to achieve a sound development with stability and economic prosperity, based on the successful implementation of the “One China” and “one country, two systems” principles.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns interference in the internal affairs of China and rejects any attempt to harm the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China.

Cuba supports efforts made by the central government of Beijing and the authorities of Hong Kong to reverse this situation, preserve peace, and re-establish stability.

We are fully confident in the capacity and wisdom of the Chinese authorities to put an end to these destabilizing events and return to normalcy.

Havana, September 5, 2019.

The welcoming ceremony included both officers paying tribute to Antonio Maceo and Francisco Gómez Toro at the Cacahual Mausoleum, a site that recalls Cuba’s independence struggle, and highlights the examples of its heroes as valuable weapons in the deconstruction of the ideological lies that imperialist forces launch against the peoples of the world.

López Miera stressed that many Chinese fought alongside Maceo, who left their mark due to their combative self-sacrifice and revolutionary convictions. According to an old adage from the Cuban independence wars, “There was never a Chinese man who was a traitor or a coward.”

Miao Hua expressed his gratitude for the welcome received, as well as the explanations about the history of Cuba’s independence struggles, and noted that the example of its heroes has for decades fueled the morale of the Chinese Red Army. “We are eager to work together in the political sphere and learn from your experiences regarding historical work,” he said.

The People’s Republic of China and Cuba maintain broad political and economic relations, rooted in the traditions of struggle of both nations, and in the victories achieved by their peoples, offering a lasting legacy for the new generations.

(Granma)

Close to midnight yesterday, the President of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, arrived in Vietnam, after concluding his visit to the People’s Republic of China.

Upon his arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, the Cuban President was greeted by Thi Ngoc Thinh, Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as well as other government leaders.

The Cuban delegation includes Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; Council of Ministers Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz; Minister of Communications Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella; Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra Díaz; and Cuban ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera.

This is the first time Díaz-Canel has visited this sister country, with which Cuba maintains special bilateral relations based on the longstanding ties of friendship and solidarity shared by the two peoples, parties, and governments.

 (Granma)

During the third day of his official visit to China, the Cuban President paid tribute to Mao Zedong, the supreme leader of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Republic of China, from 1949 through 1976.

After arriving in Shanghai on Tuesday, he traveled to Beijing where he was received at the city’s international airport by MaXiaowei, president of the country’s National Health Commission.

The first meeting on his agenda for the day was with Wang Yang, president of the XIII Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, who recalled his 2015 visit to Cuba, and meeting with Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, which he said made a deep impression on him. For his part Díaz-Canel reiterated that China is very important to Cuba, and that the government, party, and people are committed to further developing bilateral relations.

This is the third time the Cuban President has visited China, but the first as President of the country’s Councils of State and Ministers. He described the visit as one of “continuity and consolidation.”

The day also included a tour of the Forbidden City and a meeting with Cuban youth studying in China.

(Granma)

During the third day of his official visit to China, the Cuban President paid tribute to Mao Zedong, the supreme leader of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Republic of China, from 1949 through 1976.

After arriving in Shanghai on Tuesday, he traveled to Beijing where he was received at the city’s international airport by MaXiaowei, president of the country’s National Health Commission.

The first meeting on his agenda for the day was with Wang Yang, president of the XIII Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, who recalled his 2015 visit to Cuba, and meeting with Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, which he said made a deep impression on him. For his part Díaz-Canel reiterated that China is very important to Cuba, and that the government, party, and people are committed to further developing bilateral relations.

This is the third time the Cuban President has visited China, but the first as President of the country’s Councils of State and Ministers. He described the visit as one of “continuity and consolidation.”

The day also included a tour of the Forbidden City and a meeting with Cuban youth studying in China.

(Granma)

Also scheduled are the signing of bilateral accords and visits to important historical and cultural sites.

China is the fourth stop of Díaz-Canel’s first tour to Europe and Asia since assuming the Presidency last April. He has visited France, Russia, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and will continue within a few days to Vietnam.

(Granma)