The first batch of emergency food supplies provided by the Chinese government to Cuba arrived in Havana on Wednesday.
At Havana's José Martí International Airport, a handover ceremony for the aid was held.
More batches of goods will continue to arrive through air and sea transportation.
"Friends in Cuba, please believe that the brotherly Chinese people will always stand with you through thick and thin to realize the China-Cuba socialist community with a shared future and strive to build a better world," said Luo Zhaohui, Director of China International Development Cooperation Agency.
"This aid package has once again embodied the special friendly relations between China and Cuba, and our profound friendship. It is also a vivid manifestation of our efforts to build a community with a shared future," said Ma Hui, Chinese Ambassador to Cuba.
"In the course of promoting the construction of the community of shared future for mankind, Cuba and China have always moved towards the realization of a community of shared future between China and Cuba. Both countries are committed to pushing forward friendly and inclusive relations and carrying out in-depth friendly and effective cooperation for peace and sustainable development," said Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca, Cuban Deputy Prime Minister.
Fonseca further noted the serious impact of the U.S. continuous sanctions on Cuba for over 60 years, which has severely affected the country's economy.
On behalf of the Cuban government, the Communist Party of Cuba, and the Cuban people, Fonseca expressed the sincerest gratitude to China.
Cuba receives 1st batch of emergency food aid from China
As China marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, a roughly 12,500-kilometer military odyssey, German writer Christian Y. Schmidt shared his and fellow author Volker Haering's extraordinary cycling journey retracing the the historic route with local audiences in Germany.
The Long March (1934-1936) was a military maneuver by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army that later became a defining episode in modern Chinese history, symbolizing endurance and perseverance as troops crossed some of the country's harshest terrain to establish a new revolutionary base. Some marched as far as 12,500 kilometers, enduring hunger, thirst and cold.
Schmidt and his friend, fellow writer Haering spent 138 days between 2023 and 2024, cycling nearly 7,000 kilometers along the historic route of the Chinese Red Army, starting from Ruijin County in east China's Jiangxi Province and heading northwest.
Their experiences have been compiled into a book titled "Der lange Fahrrad-Marsch: 7.000 Kilometer durch das Reich der Mitte".
Last week, Schmidt shared extraordinary journey with audiences at the Confucius Institute at Dusseldorf, drawing engagement from local attendees seeking fresh perspectives on Chinese modern history.
"I think we can take away an inspiration from this: As long as you keep moving forward, never give up, and always keep your eyes fixed on your goal, you will surely be able to keep going. And if you encounter difficulties along the way, you just have to find ways to overcome them," said Schmidt.
The presentation prompted reflections on endurance and modern development among the German audience.
"Mao Zedong once said, 'Nothing is impossible in the world if you dare to scale the heights.' I think this is precisely the spirit demonstrated during the Long March. Who could have imagined that after enduring such hardship, victory could still be achieved in the end? I think that is the lesson we can draw from it. In a sense, the memory of the Long March seems deeply etched into the genes of future generations," said Kneppel, an attendee.
"China's development is indeed nothing short of a miracle. China has achieved astonishing leaps in technological development. Driven by the government, China displays tremendous vitality, focus, and purposeful effort. The Chinese government unites people from all over the country to march toward the exact same goal, and I have witnessed this with my own eyes," said Maria, another attendee.
German writer shares 7,000 km Long March cycling journey with audiences
