Shandong province is at the forefront of the strong friendship between Cuba and China, said Carlos M. Pereira, Cuba's ambassador to China, in a signed article.

In 2001, Shandong signed an agreement on friendly provincial relations with the former Havana province of Cuba (in 2011 the province was split into two new provinces - Artemisa and Mayabeque).

Carlos M. Pereira, Cuba's ambassador to China [Photo/dzwww.com]

"Currently, we are working toward signing a friendly cooperation agreement between Shandong and the Cuban capital, Havana, to strengthen economic and trade cooperation and promote common development between the two places," said Pereira.

According to the ambassador, Shandong's exports to Cuba account for about 10 percent of Cuba's trade with China, due to a number of Shandong companies which are cooperating with their counterparts in Cuba, and most of which attend the Havana International Fair, an important commercial event in Cuba, every year.

Biotechnology is a key area of cooperation between Cuba and Shandong which has shown significant promise, he said. Both Cuba and China put the health of their people first. To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides have invested a lot in infrastructure and improving public health services.

The outbreak has also opened up new possibilities for cooperation between Cuba and China in the fields of biotechnology and healthcare.

"Shandong excels at producing medical and pharmaceutical products, and we would like to further explore the possibility of bilateral cooperation in this field," said Pereira.

The two sides also enjoy close cooperation in the field of electronic technology, he said, adding that Cuba has been in constant contact with Shandong enterprises, which plays an important role in the modernization, transformation and upgrading of Cuba's electronics industry.

September 28 this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Cuba and China.

"I hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen friendly relations and promote pragmatic cooperation between local governments so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples," said the ambassador.