Milestones in the bilateral relations between Cuba and China

China is not afraid to deepen relations with Cuba, a country economically, commercially and financially blockaded by the United States. Cuba did not hesitate to take the historic decision to establish relations with the People's Republic of China in September 1960, becoming the first Latin American country to be linked to the Asian giant on the 28th of that month.
HIGH EXCHANGE BETWEEN PARTIES
The most important visits to China were those of Che Guevara in 1960 and 1965; Osvaldo Dorticós in 1961; Fidel Castro in 1995 and 2003; Raúl Castro in 1997, 2005 and 2012; and Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez in 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2022.
On the Chinese side, Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary and President, Jiang Zemin, was the only head of state to visit Cuba in the difficult context of 1993 and then again in 2001. His successor, Hu Jintao, later visited Havana in November 2004 and again in 2008.
Xi Jinping's first visit to Cuba was in June 2011, when he was Vice President and later, in 2014, when he became CCP General Secretary and President. The Cuban President has confirmed on several occasions the invitation extended to the Chinese President to visit our country whenever his agenda allows.
COMMON POLITICAL AGENDAS
China has actively supported the regional integration process promoted by Cuba and other Latin American countries. In this regard, Cuba has played an important role in supporting the deepening of relations between China and countries in the region, as well as in the establishment of the China-Celac Forum and in the consolidation of the G77 and China.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, both China and Cuba consciously fulfilled their obligations to promote and strengthen international cooperation in the fight against the disease.   
BILATERAL TRADE
China is the most important partner of Latin American countries. In 2003, the Island became the first American country to be considered as a tourist destination for individual travel by Chinese citizens.  In 2015, Air China opened a direct route between Beijing and Havana, the first between China and the Caribbean.
In 2016, it was also the first in the region to join the Digital Silk Road, and in 2021, the two nations signed the Cooperation Plan for the joint promotion of the Belt and Road, linked to the National Socioeconomic Development Plan 2030.  
COOPERATION AND INVESTMENT
Since 1960, the two countries have signed memoranda on cultural and scientific-technological cooperation. Since then, more than 200 agreements have been signed between the two sides, and important meetings and high-level sessions have been held.
In 1988, both parts held the First Intergovernmental Commission on Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
In November 2023, agreements were signed covering various areas of bilateral cooperation, such as transportation, biotechnology, agrifood and digital television. Cuba became the first country in the region to use the Chinese standard for the development of digital television.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade (Mincex) and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (Cidca) signed cooperation agreements under the Global Development Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Promotion of the Project of New Photovoltaic Parks and other Assistance to Cuba.
CHINESE COMPANIES
China supports the development of new energy in Cuba. The intergovernmental commission has been key to motivate cooperation between governments to encourage the participation of capital from Chinese companies on the Island.
The most representative project is the biomass power plant, located in Ciego de Ávila; although Chinese businessmen from areas such as transportation, high technology and construction, grouped in the China Latin America Industrial Park (Picla) platform, also signed agreements in Camagüey this year 2024.
There is also Chinese presence in the Mariel Special Development Zone.
SCIENCE AND HEALTH COLLABORATION
After the 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan, region of China, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade went to the epicenter to provide aid. The years 2022, 2023 and 2024 were years of strong will to build a community of shared destiny Cuba-China.
The most representative biotechnology projects include the Biotech Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd (BPL); the Changchun Heber Biological Technology Co. Ltd (ChangHeber); and the International Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, founded in 2023.      
Source: Granma and Center for International Politics Research.