Cuba is to supply more than 10,000 tons of nickel to China this
year, said visiting Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Felipe Ramon
Perez Roque on Tuesday.
In his speech at the China Institutes of Contemporary
International Relations, Perez said Cuba is a reliable nickel
supplier for China. By the end of 2006, Cuba had altogether
provided nearly 30,000 tons nickel for China.
Cuba's nickel reserve currently stands at 14.6 million tons,
which is the second largest in the world.
Perez said China has become Cuba's second largest trading
partner, adding bilateral trade volume hit a record high of US$2
billion in 2006.
The two countries have maintained in-depth political dialogues,
and conducted close cooperation in international organizations, the
42-year-old Cuban foreign minister said.
At present, more than 500 Chinese students are studying in Cuba,
while 160 Cuban youth are studying in China.
Perez said he hopes these youth could contribute to cementing
Cuba-China friendship in future.
According to him, the two countries had fruitful cooperation in
health, tourism and agriculture fields. The first ophthalmological
hospital jointly funded by Cuba and China has been set up in
Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province.
More two such hospitals will be launched in Hebi, a city in
central China's Henan Province, and Datong, a mining city in
north China's Shanxi Province, Perez said.
Perez arrived in Beijing Sunday night on a four-day official
China trip. During his stay, Vice President Zeng Qinghong and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan will meet with him,
respectively.
He also visited south China's Guangdong Province and attended the opening
ceremony of the Cuban consulate general there.
(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2007)
