Chinese President Meets with Cuban Prime Minister Today

Chinese state media reported that President Xi Jinping met with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing today, Monday. The meeting took place the day after the Cuban Prime Minister and the Chinese Vice President signed cooperation agreements at a trade exhibition. Marrero was among six prominent foreign figures who attended the opening of the China International Import Expo on Sunday in Shanghai, a week-long trade fair where countries and companies often make deals leading to the world’s second-largest economy purchasing more goods from them. Following the meeting between the Cuban Prime Minister and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the expo, both sides signed several unspecified cooperation agreements, according to a summary of the meeting released by state media. Marrero is visiting China as the Cuban economy, which heavily relies on imports of food, fuel, and other necessities, approaches collapse following a decline of more than 50% in export revenues needed by Cuba to purchase imports.