Havana, January 19 (Prensa Latina) Cuba officially received today the first batch of the donation of 30,000 tons of rice from China, sent in the emergency modality to complement national efforts to meet the food demand of the population.
Photos by Abel Rojas
In a ceremony of gratitude held this Monday at the Loading and Unloading Center of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, in Havana, the Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, pointed out that this donation is a concrete expression of the exemplary, unconditional and selfless cooperation of the People’s Republic of China with the Caribbean country.
He emphasized that China not only cooperates with Cuba in sending food and in the energy sector and many other fields, but also effectively cooperates with Cuba to increase national rice production and achieve food self-sufficiency.
“We deeply recognize and appreciate this help at a complex time when levels of aggression are rising and the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against the Cuban people is intensifying in an unprecedented way,” said Pérez-Oliva.
“We greatly appreciate this gesture, which is a concrete expression of building a community with a shared future between the peoples of Cuba and China,” he concluded.
For his part, China’s ambassador to Cuba, Hua Xin, said that these are the first supplies from his country’s government’s emergency food assistance project for the largest of the Antilles.
“This assistance not only embodies the deep bonds of special friendship between both nations, but also demonstrates the unwavering commitment to remain united even in difficult times,” the diplomat noted.
During the event, Pérez-Oliva noted that two shipments, both of 2,400 tons of the grain, had already been received through the Mariel container terminal and the port of Santiago de Cuba, and that they would be distributed immediately and free of charge to the Cuban population.
During the first half of this year, two more shipments will continue to arrive in Cuba, completing the total amount donated by the Chinese people and authorities, the official noted.
The Chinese government is pushing this aid project forward at maximum speed, and a third batch of 15,600 tons is already ready for shipment, while a fourth batch of 9,600 tons will be dispatched in mid-February to benefit the entire population of the island, explained the Chinese ambassador.
Meanwhile, assistance to the areas of Cuba affected by Hurricane Melissa is progressing efficiently, the diplomat from the Asian country said.
He recalled that in November 2025, six batches of food were urgently sent to Cuba by air, in addition to essential supplies such as solar lamps, roofing materials, and mattresses, which arrived this month in two batches by sea to the port of Santiago de Cuba, which will guarantee the reconstruction and recovery after the disaster in the eastern provinces.
“We deeply understand that true friendship is revealed in times of greatest need,” the Chinese ambassador emphasized in his speech.
Faced with the current complex international situation, China has always been Cuba’s strongest partner, he emphasized.
“Every grain of rice delivered today embodies the unwavering commitment of the Chinese people to never abandon the Cubans,” he added.
“We are convinced that with the joint efforts of both countries, no blockade will be able to extinguish the light of hope, nor will any difficulty be able to hinder the path forward,” he added.
In the future, China is willing to further strengthen cooperation with Cuba, overcoming difficulties together and promoting the building of a China-Cuba community with a shared future, concluded the diplomatic representative of the Asian giant.
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