Chinese state media reports Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The leaders met after the Cuban leader signed co-operation documents with Xi’s deputy at a trade fair.
Marrero arrives in China at a time when Cuba’s economy, which relies heavily on imports of food, fuel and other goods, is close to collapse after a more than 50 per cent drop in export earnings needed to buy imported goods.
Yesterday he attended the opening ceremonies of the International Import Expo (CIIE), a week-long trade fair in Shanghai where countries and companies often strike deals that result in the world’s second-largest economy buying more of their goods.
After Marrero met with Premier Li Qiang of China’s State Council on the sidelines of the CIIE, Chinese and Cuban officials signed several co-operation documents, according to a summary of the meeting published in state media.
Cuba calls relations with Beijing “outstanding” or “historic”, and President Miguel Diaz-Canel told Chinese leader Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August this year that they were at the “highest level”. But analysts doubt that China will not develop its relationship with the diplomatically isolated island or provide substantial support to Cuba, not least because Cuba does not have the means to repay any loans that China might provide.
However, supporting Cuba could pay China significant strategic and diplomatic dividends.
In June, there were media reports that China had agreed with Cuba to set up an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island, located about 100 miles off the US state of Florida. China denied these reports and condemned the US government and media for publishing, in its view, contradictory and false information.
Havana and Beijing celebrated 63 years of diplomatic ties recently, although the historic ties between the two countries date back to the 19th century. Cuba was the first country in the western hemisphere to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, which was founded in 1949 by leader Mao Zedong.
