On the event’s opening day, Liu Haixing, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and head of its International Department, read a letter addressed by the political organization’s General Secretary, Xi Jinping, to the leader of the Revolution, Raul Castro, and to President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

In the text, the Chinese leader highlighted that Fidel Castro dedicated his entire life to the struggle for national liberation, the defense of sovereignty, and the construction of socialism, achieving “immortal historical feats” for the Cuban people and the global socialist cause.

Xi Jinping emphasized that the historic leader was the one who laid the foundation for and fostered relations between China and Cuba, enabling the island to become the first country in Latin America to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China.

Over the course of 66 years, the letter noted, bilateral ties have become a benchmark for solidarity-based cooperation among socialist countries and for sincere mutual assistance among nations of the Global South.

The Asian head of state reaffirmed China’s backing for Cuba in its pursuit of development suited to its national conditions, its defense of security, and its opposition to external interference within the current international context.

During his remarks, Liu Haixing remembered the testimony of Fidel Castro’s friendship and the historical ties that united the Cuban leader with figures such as Mao Zedong and, subsequently, Xi Jinping.

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