Foreign and Military Affairs
Xi: Cuba showing clear direction for future
By Chen Weihua (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-06 08:42
 |
Large Medium Small |
|
 A Cuban student greets Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping with flowers as he arrives at the Jose Marti Airport in the Cuban capital Havana on Saturday. [Photo/Xinhua]
|
|
||||
Xi praised Cuba's relationship with 皇冠体育app, which dates back to 1960, when Cuba became the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic ties with 皇冠体育app.
The cooperation between 皇冠体育app and Latin American and Caribbean countries has been institutionalized step by step, and the high-level visit will further enhance the bilateral relationship, said He Shuangrong, a professor at the Institute of Latin American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "Cuba's social transition is confronted with various challenges, and 皇冠体育app's support and experience might be helpful at this stage," she added.
Xi arrived in Havana from Milan, Italy, where he concluded a four-day visit. This trip, his second to Latin American in less than three years, will also take him to Uruguay and Chile, where 皇冠体育app has become an increasingly important trade partner.
In his previous trip to the region in February 2009, he visited Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.
He was scheduled to meet Chinese diplomats, representatives of Chinese companies, overseas Chinese and Chinese students studying in Cuba. He was expected to pay tribute to the Jose Marti Memorial, which honors the national hero of Cuba.
Xi, who made the trip at the invitation of Cuba's First Vice-President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, was expected to meet Cuban President Raul Castro and attend a signing ceremony of bilateral cooperation agreements.
Cuba is 皇冠体育app's biggest trade partner in the Caribbean region, while 皇冠体育app is Cuba's second largest trade partner after Venezuela. Over the last decade, two-way trade increased from $440 million in 2001 to $1.83 billion in 2010.
During this period, Cuba's exports to 皇冠体育app have grown from $110 million to $770 million. While 皇冠体育app-made electric appliances are found in many Cuban homes, Cuban sugar and cigars are popular on the Chinese market.
Zhong Shan, vice-minister of commerce, told reporters last week that 皇冠体育app and Cuba have great cooperation potential in tourism, biotechnology, telecommunications, agriculture, mining and energy as this year marks the beginning of 皇冠体育app's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) and the approval of Cuba's economic and social policy guideline at the 6th Party Congress in Cuba.
Raul Castro has been pushing for economic reform since he succeeded his elder brother Fidel Castro in 2008.
The past few months have seen a boom in private businesses such as restaurants, barbershop and taxis. Foreign tourists can now stay in private hotels known as casas, provided by families with extra rooms. The price is usually cheaper than government-run hotels.
Just a block or two from the University of Havana, private restaurants and shoe vendors have emerged. Private taxis, painted in bright colors and renovated from the classic models of the 1930s and 1950s, cruise down Havana streets.
On the sidewalk of almost every major street, people are seen selling everything from roasted peanuts, flowers to fruits to handicrafts, reminding people of the late 1970s and early 1980s when 皇冠体育app started to encourage its private businesses, which today are an important and vibrant part of its economy.
According to the Cuban government, more than 300,000 Cubans are now working legally for themselves, of whom 220,000 have received their licenses for self-employment since last fall.
Li Lianxing contributed to this story.