Cuba and China enjoy a traditional friendship. High-level exchanges between our two countries have deepened our friendly ties. Former President Fidel Castro visited China in 1995 and 2003. Before becoming president of the Council of State, Raul Castro visited China in 1997 and 2005 as the first vice president of the Council of State. He always attaches great importance to Cuba-China relations and closely follows the two countries' cooperation in various fields. To date, Chinese presidents have made four trips to Latin America, each of which included a visit to Cuba. This shows that the Chinese Government and leaders give priority to developing relations with Cuba.

Cuba and China have conducted frequent high-level dialogues to share their experiences in pursuing their respective socialist causes and exchange views on major international issues. Deepening political relations have helped our trade relations flourish. China has been Cuba's second largest trade partner next to Venezuela for the past four years. Cuba is one of China's most important trade partners in Latin America. Cuba provides China with important strategic resources such as nickel. China is a major supplier of Cuba's consumer goods as well as equipment for its economic and social development and import substitution programs.

What are the most promising areas of cooperation between our two countries?

Cuba and China have exchanges in all sectors of the economy and society. In recent years, we have worked hard to promote cooperation in a number of areas. Biotechnology is one of them. Cuba and China have jointly established two biotech companies in China, producing monoclonal antibodies, which offer a therapy for cancer, and high-quality liquid interferon. We have broken developed countries' monopoly on the production of monoclonal antibodies.

Health is also an emerging area for cooperation. We are building joint-venture eye hospitals with our Chinese partners in China's central and western regions. To date, we have opened two hospitals in Xining, Qinghai Province, and Hebi, Henan Province. The hospitals have treated 120,000 patients and performed 5,000 eye surgeries. A third hospital is to open in Datong, Shanxi Province, in May. We are planning to establish another three hospitals by the end of this year.

Under another major educational cooperative project, Cuba helps train young Chinese students in the Spanish language and other subjects. More than 2,000 Chinese students are currently studying in Cuba. The number is expected to hit 5,000 in the coming years.

China is an important partner of Cuba in trade and science and technology. Chinese enterprises have also invested in Cuba. Cuba today has an open economy. Chinese enterprises can invest and participate in almost all sectors of its economy, including strategic sectors such as mineral resource development and oil exploitation. Cuba is a major importer of Chinese energy-saving transportation vehicles and home appliances. We are also cooperating in the fields of solar power, hydropower, wind power and infrastructure construction.

Against the backdrop of the financial crisis, there has been a flurry of diplomatic activity between China and Latin America, including President Hu Jintao's visit to Cuba in November last year. How do you interpret the messages these diplomatic moves have conveyed?

The moves show that China sees great value in the region. In my view, an important development in the relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean region is the Chinese Foreign Ministry's release of China's Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean in November last year. The document, which clarifies China's policy toward the region, forms the most important basis for its relations with countries in the region. Shortly after the document was released, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Costa Rica, Cuba and Peru. In February this year, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visited four Latin American countries. Vice Premier Hui Liangyu also visited four Latin American countries. A number of Latin American leaders visited China last year. In March this year, Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez paid a state visit to China.

The international financial crisis has presented opportunities for China and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region to strengthen trade relations. I think there are several reasons for their growing relationship: Most of these countries rest their hopes on China. Their internal mechanisms, such as import substitution and Latin American integration, help China increase its participation and presence in the region. China and countries in the region are economically complementary. Also, China cooperates with these countries on the basis of mutual benefit and respect without attaching any political strings.