GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD COMRADES AND GOOD BROTHERS FOREVER TO OPEN A NEW CHAPTER OF CHINA-CUBA FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION:AN INTERVIEW WITH MIGUEL ANGEL RAMIREZ RAMOS, CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA

WEI DANDAN

CW Corrsepondent

Interviewer: The year of 2019 is the 60th anniversary of the victory of Cuban Revolution. Since the victory of the Revolution, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, Cuban people have pioneered a socialism path which corresponds to the reality of the country in spite of complex and changeable situations and all difficulties both abroad and at home. Could you tell us some of the major achievements since the victory of Cuban Revolution?

Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos: The triumph of the revolution signified the real independence of Cuba, before which Cuba had been colony of Spain and had fallen neocolonial victim of United States. Since the triumph of the revolution, Cuban people have become the master of their own destiny. We choose socialist path and dedicate ourselves into the elimination of all detrimental practices by capitalism systems. But the process is a difficult and painstaking one. On one hand, Cuba has always been faced with threats of foreign military aggression and terrorist attack. On the other hand, we must do our best to overcome the impacts left by improper historical structures of development.

In spite of economic, commercial and financial blockade by the US, as well as the impact of the disintegration of Soviet Union and the upheavals in Eastern European countries since the end of 1980s, we have made great progresses in important fields, such as biotechnology, public healthcare,education, tourism, cultural and ecological preservation,and industry and agriculture during the 60 years since the victory of Cuban Revolution.

Miguel Angel Ramirez, Cuban Ambassador to China

The triumph of the revolution had helped Cuban peo-ple win back their pride and dignity. It also granted us with people-centered development in politics, economy and society. As a result, Cuba now has more than a million graduates and a high proportion of well-educated professionals, although her economic scale has been quite limited.

The victory of Cuban Revolution also convinces us of the power of internationalism and solidarity, which are principles Cuban people will never give up.Taking public health for example, Cuba now is bringing medical assistance to 67 countries all over the world via cooperation of different forms. Since 1963,Cuba has completed 600,000 international medical missions in 164 countries,where more than 400,000 medical and health workers have contributed. Many of them have joined more than one mission. Their glorious fights against Ebola in Africa, blindness in Latin America and the Caribbean and cholera in Haiti deserve to be praised and engraved. Moreover, Cuba also sent 26 brigades of the international contingent of medical specialists for disasters and serious epidemics, the “Henry Reeve”,to Pakistan, Indonesia, Mexico, Ecuador,Peru, Chile, Venezuela and other countries. In 2008, a Cuban medical brigade arrived in China to help people in the earthquake-stricken area in Sichuan.Meanwhile, 35,613 medical staff from 138 countries has received free training in Cuba, including 650 students majored in medic and nursing from China. All those above express our vocation for solidarity and internationalism.

Interviewer: Since Raul Castro took the post of the first secretary, he has started and steadily promoted the update of economic and social mode of Cuba,which is a positive exploration by Communist Party of Cuba for the development of socialism with its own characteristics. Could you tell us something about First Secretary Raul's style of leadership and his thoughts on development?

Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos:Raul Castro is one of the greatest leaders of Cuban Revolution. He is loyal to Fidel Castro and has great organizing capabilities and leadership to constantly boost Cuban Revolution. He has been a leader honored for his willing to hear people's opinions and to engage in strategic issues actively. Raul Castro, as the leader of Communist Party of Cuba, has been also in charge of the Commission on Constitutional Reform. The commission is dedicated to the great process of the revision of our constitution, which will be completed in February, 2019.

Raul Castro is still active in Cuban political arena by working as the leader of Communist Party of Cuba, although he has retired from the leading position of the government. His retiring is also proving that the elder generation of revolutionists is handing in the power to their successors who have been prepared for the continuation of Cuban Revolution.

Cuba is in a new period of the continuity of the revolutionary process. It's not a reform or breaking of the revolutionary process we have been defending.Fidel Castro's thought is in all programs by Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuban Government because it was this great leader who led Cuban Revolution,concluded the 150-year struggling of our country, realized national independence and built a “republic with freedom and dignity”, a country centered on her people.

Interviewer: In April, 2018, Chairman Diaz-Canel was elected as the President of State Council and Council of Ministers of Cuba. This is the first generational relief of the principal leader of the state and the government since the victory of Cuban Revolution. Please share with us about the characteristics and major missions of the new government headed by President Diaz-Canel.

Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos: President Diaz-Canel personally expressed his unspeakable honor to be supported by First Secretary Raul Castro.

President Diaz-Canel has his own style of leadership. He passes down the thoughts of Fidel Castro and Raul Castro with high fidelity. He is a leader of high-level political attainments born after the victory of Cuban Revolution. He is characterized for his efforts to contact people directly and create direct connections between the central government and local governments, so that he can find the solutions for people's concerns and problems lagging the development of the country. He is the guarantee of the continuation of Cuban Revolution.

After Diaz-Canel took the post of the president of Council of Ministers,the draft for the constitutional reform was passed. The draft was discussed by all Cuban people from August 13th to September 15th, 2018. Over 8.9 million people participated in the discussion in their neighborhood or workplace. More than 1.7 million people provided opinions and advices. President Diaz-Canel personally joined some discussing meetings and carefully categorized and analyzed people's opinions and advices,which allowed people's opinions to be fully included in the new document of the draft.

Interviewer: China and Cuba are both socialist countries led by communist party. We are good comrades, good brothers and good friends. At present, the relationship between China and Cuba is at the best moment in history with frequent high-level exchanges and fruitful cooperation in all fields. The relationship between the two parties is an important pillar of the bilateral relations. There are various mechanisms for exchanging between the two parties. From November 6th to 8th, 2018, Diaz-Canel paid an official visit to China. The leaders of the two counties reached a series of important agreements on Sino-Cuba relation for a new era. How would you comment on the relations of the two parties and two countries? What's your perspective to the future development of China-Cuba relations?

Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos: The leading position of Communist Party of Cuba in the country is solid because we are supported by the majority of the people and we also have historical foundation. Cuban Revolutionary Party founded by Jose Marti in 1892 was the predecessor of the Communist Party of Cuba. The party made by Marti was the first one to courageously start and promote the revolution. It was a party able to unite Cuban people and win independence and sovereignty, a party representing interests of the majority on the basis of independence, and a party adherent to opening and democracy.

Communist Party of Cuba is the guarantee for the unification of Cuba.It is not a party for election, but a pioneering organization of the society. It is the principal promoter, coordinator and supervisor of the strategies of Cuban social and economic development.

In November, 2018, President Diaz-Canel paid a successful official visit to China, which further proved the two parties' traditional friendship like comrades and brothers. We attach great importance to party-to-party communication, especially for visits made by leaders of the two countries and parties, direct communication at all levels and exchanges of the experience of the construction of socialist countries. Communist parties of China and Cuba are both undertaking socialist construction according to their respective characteristics and are learning from each other's experience. Strong leadership of Communist Party of China reinforces the political authority of the dialogue between the two parties. It is an important guarantee for the political, commercial and people-to-people exchange and cooperation in other fields.

Interviewer: Communist Party of China is the core of the strong leadership of the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th National Congress of Communist Party of China, under the leadership of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core,China's course of the development of the Party and the country has experienced historical change and harvested historical achievements. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.During the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was confirmed as a guiding thought that the Party must adhere to in future and was included in the Party Constitution. The guiding thought of the party keeps pace with the times. How would you comment on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era?

Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos: As the Cuban ambassador to China, I'm honored to see President Xi Jinping personally when he came to Cuban embassy in China to pay condolence to Fidel Castro, our leader of revolution,during which I presented him the letter of credence and talked with him.We believe President Xi Jinping is a leader dedicated to the rejuvenation of Chinese nation and the changing of the destiny of Chinese People. He is also a great friend of Cuban leaders.

We are very interested in the experience of Communist Party of China to reinforce the leadership in all aspects of Chinese society. We see the inclusion of“the leadership of Communist Party of China is the most fundamental feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics” into the Constitution of Communist Party of China and the Constitution of People's Republic of China as a very important decision, which proves that Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core commands a solid leading position and is capable of building social consensus. The leadership of Communist Party of China is the important guarantee for the unification of all ethnic groups and the integrity of territory.

We also appreciate the results made by Communist Party of China on anticorruption. For example, in March 2018,the Supervision Law of PRC was passed and the National Commission of Supervision was established.

Cuba is also very interested in learning from Communist Party of China's practice in the improvement of leading systems and mechanisms of the Party's leading work at all levels as well as its experience in training and appointing cadres. Its splendid goals and strategic planning for poverty alleviation and state-owned enterprises management improvement also attract us to learn.

Interviewer: In 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative for the first time, which is a great practice in order to build a community with a shared future for humanity.In recent years, the concept of the community with a shared future for humanity and the Belt and Road Initiative have been recognized and supported by more and more countries. What's your opinion about the role of China and Latin American countries' joint efforts to contribute to the initiative in facilitating the development of Latin American countries and building a community with a shared future for China and Latin America? What are the ideas of the Party of Cuba about the participation in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative?

Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos:Cuba welcomes the Belt and Road Initiative and its extension to Latin America. We speak highly of the Belt and Road Initiative because it boosts the connections of culture, knowledge and logistics among different countries and exchanges in fields of information and communication. It is a new route to globalization and enables all participant parties to benefit from cooperation. On November 8th, 2018, President Diaz-Canel expressed his will to join the construction of the Belt and Road and signed on China-Cuba Memorandum of Understanding on Jointly Promoting the Construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Marine Silk Road in the 21st Century during his visit to China, which again showed Cuba's support to the Belt and Road Initiative and to China's will to enhance cooperation with Latin American countries.

By proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, China has expressed its political will to promote programs and actions for the common progress of mankind such as to improve infrastructures and to break trade barriers. We believe Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 and extended to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015 is an important international public product to safeguard multilateralism and to oppose protectionism.