Beijing, May 13, 2025
Your Excellencies, Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations:
I thank the Government of the People's Republic of China for the warm welcome and the organization of this important Forum. Our gratitude also goes to Colombia, President Pro Tempore of CELAC, for its leadership and skillful conduct of the preparatory process.
The theme of this debate “Planning together for development and revitalization, building together the China-LAC community of destiny” could not be more relevant, in a complex global scenario, marked by the United States' attempts to reshape the international system and political and economic-trade relations on the basis of pressure, blackmail, threats and the imposition of tariffs and other punitive and intimidating tools.
The CELAC-China Forum, created from the agreements adopted at the II Summit of our Community, in Havana, in 2014, has been enriched throughout this decade as an effective space for concertation and deepening of relations between China and the region.
It has demonstrated its strategic importance and practical usefulness in advancing our development goals and corroborated the possibility and mutual benefits of building together a community of shared future of humanity.
Currently, most of the countries in our region have established diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, based on mutual respect, and maintain cooperative relations with this friendly country, which have been beneficial for our peoples.
In contrast, the U.S. government promotes trade and tariff wars at the global level, especially against China, and threatens countries that legitimately have economic development projects with Chinese companies.
In the particular case of Cuba, we have been victims for more than 60 years of the genocidal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, which in recent years has escalated to unprecedented levels, among other measures, with the arbitrary inclusion of our country in the spurious list of alleged State sponsors of terrorism.
Excellencies:
Cuba is proud to have been the first Latin American and Caribbean country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, which arrive this year at their 65th anniversary.
In multilateral fora, we have reiterated our firm rejection of actions aimed at infringing on China's territorial integrity and sovereignty and reiterated our unwavering support for the “one China” principle.
Our bilateral relationship with China is an example of what can be done in terms of South-South cooperation. Based on mutual respect, sovereign equality, and complementarity and solidarity, this cooperation has allowed: the development of joint projects in areas of biotechnology, which save lives in Cuba, China and the world; the development of renewable energies, key to our energy sovereignty; the training of Cuban professionals in Chinese universities, strengthening our national capacities.
We take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of the government of China, especially its initiatives of the Belt and Road and for Global Development and the CELAC-China Cooperation Plan 2022-2024, which have made it possible to implement projects of high socio-economic impact, in line with the legitimate interests and aspirations of the nations of the South. We must translate our words into concrete projects, accessible financing and agile cooperation mechanisms.
As our President Miguel Díaz-Canel reflected in this same Forum and I quote: “China and Latin America and the Caribbean are partners on a common path towards development, convinced that unity in diversity is our greatest strength to build a multipolar and fair world”. End of quote.
That road today has a name: community of shared future, and Cuba is ready to travel it together with you. Let us build together a fairer and more equitable world, where the development aspirations of our nations are not a chimera, but a right evidenced in the well-being of our peoples.
Thank you very much.