Cuban Vice-president Ricardo Cabrisas with China’s Deputy Prime Minister Wang Yang. (Picture: cubasi.cu)

China’s Deputy Prime Minister Wang Yang met on June 28 with top Cuban government leaders on his first official visit to the island, in a trip aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation.

Wang Yang held official talks with Cuban Vice-president Ricardo Cabrisas, a meeting that was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, the Cubasi Web site reported on Sunday.

During the meeting, the two parties highlighted “the positive development” of Cuban-Chinese diplomatic relations with intent to continue working on their strengthening.

Vice-president Cabrisas said that the visit of the Chinese Deputy PM marks “a milestone” in the continuity of economic exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Within the framework of this visit, which takes place on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two countries, Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Ileana Núñez and her Chinese counterpart, Zhang Xiangchen, signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement between the two governments concerning a donation from China to Cuba.

Núñez explained that the Chinese donation will be used to finance projects of bilateral cooperation that will contribute to the development of the island in the 2016-2020 period and reaffirmed that China is a “strategic” partner for Cuba.

This is the second visit by a Chinese representative to the island so far this month, following that of the vice-president of the Central Military Commission, Fan Changlong, who was received by President Raúl Castro.