According to Spokesman Wang Wenbin, both countries “are good friends who walk together and good comrades with common goals.”

“China is willing to work together with Cuba to take this visit as an opportunity to deepen the special friendly relations between China and Cuba in the new era and build a China-Cuba community jointly with a shared future,” he added.

Wang added that Marrero’s visit gives continuity to the high-level meetings between the two nations and in particular he mentioned the latest meetings between Presidents Miguel Diaz-Canel and Xi Jinping.

The prime minister will arrive in China on Thursday, with an agenda that must last until November 9.

Marrero is expected to participate in the inauguration of the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE 2023) in Shanghai on November 5, as well as in business forums and meetings with local entrepreneurs.

In addition, he will meet with top Chinese authorities from the Government and Communist Party.

China and Cuba recently held the 30th session of the Intergovernmental Commission, which validated the special nature of bilateral ties.

Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas visited China on a working visit during which he co-chaired the Commission and signed cooperation agreements in several sectors.

The agreements include “cooperation in prioritized sectors of mutual interest, such as biotechnology, renewable energy sources, food production, tourism, info-communications, the sugar industry, transportation and trade, among others,” according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

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.

jg/jav/mem/idm