Chinese friends of Cuba here in the capital celebrated today the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, at a ceremony presided over by Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Kunsheng and Ambassador Alberto Blanco.
The activity held at the Cuban embassy in Beijing began with a video presentation outlining the history of more than 50 years of bilateral ties, since Fidel Castro announced on September 2, 1960 at the Plaza of the Revolution that diplomatic relations with the Asian nation would be established.
Ties were implemented on Sept. 28, 1960, and the celebration here included a video presentation with photos of the meeting in Beijing between Commander Ernesto Che Guevara and Chairman Mao Zedong. Photos of the visit of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro and President Raul Castro, as well as those carried out to this country by top Cuban officials throughout the last 53 years were also part of the video presentation for the embassy guests, who received the presentation with great interest and applause.
The Cuban ambassador stressed that the Chinese-Cuban relationship is characterized by its deep roots, continuity, mutual support, coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation, and recalled the words by President Raul Castro when he said these ties have reached maturity.
Blanco referred in particular to the recently concluded 26th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between the two countries, an event that ended with the signing of a bilateral economic agenda for the coming five years.
For his part, Zhang said that Cuba was the first country in Latin America to establish relations with his country, and that this in turn led to the ties that currently exist between China and the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean.