China hands over solar park to Cuba

A new photovoltaic solar park donated by China was inaugurated on Friday in the municipality of Santo Domingo, in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara.

The official handover ceremony was presided over by the Cuban Vice Prime Minister Ramiro Valdes Menendez and the Chinese ambassador to Cuba Ma Hui.

The "La Criolla" Photovoltaic Solar Park, about 300 kilometers east of the capital Havana, consists of 8,480 solar panels with an installed power capacity of 4.4 megawatt, capable of generating approximately 20 megawatt-hour daily, depending on solar radiation, which would be equivalent to saving 1,830 tons of fuel per year.

"La Criolla" is the third photovoltaic park donated by the Chinese government, with the other two located in Moron of Ciego de Avila and Miramar in Holguin.

Together, the three parks generate 12 megawatt of energy and are already connected to the National Electric System.

At the Friday inauguration ceremony, the Chinese ambassador highlighted that the project is one of the "important results" achieved through cooperation between China and Cuba within the Belt and Road Initiative.

He said Chinese-Cuban energy cooperation is a part of bilateral economic and trade relations.

The diplomat thanked the efforts made by technicians from both countries, who have overcome challenges of high temperatures and intense heat in the project and closely collaborated in the project after the Chinese team arrived in Cuba at the beginning of this year.

Ma reiterated that China is willing to continue making contributions to the energy transformation in Cuba.

He recalled that a few months ago the Chinese government donated 5,000 domestic photovoltaic solar energy generation systems to rural homes of Cuba.

Deborah Rivas, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, thanked the Chinese government on behalf of the people of Cuba for the international cooperation for the development of renewable energy source projects "that allow the change of our energy matrix and environmental protection."

"On behalf of the government, the Party and the people of Cuba, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for this assistance. This project is very important for our country's economy and people, especially under the current complex energy situation," she said.

China hands over solar park to Cuba

China hands over solar park to Cuba

China hands over solar park to Cuba

A Chinese envoy stressed the need for global cooperation to promote international nuclear arms control efforts amid unprecedented and formidable challenges faced by the international nuclear disarmament process, while addressing a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting on nuclear weapons on Monday.

During the thematic debate on nuclear weapons at the 79th session of the UNGA, Shen Jian, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, stated that the international nuclear disarmament process is encountering unparalleled challenges stemming from the lack of strategic mutual trust among major powers, escalating geopolitical tensions, and prolonged regional conflicts.

Therefore, there is a need for all countries to jointly work towards reducing nuclear risks, advancing nuclear disarmament, and preventing nuclear proliferation, Shen noted.

According to the Chinese envoy, it is necessary to deescalate regional tensions and end hostilities promptly, reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies, cease the provocative deployment of strategic forces to the forefront, adhere to a practical and feasible path of nuclear disarmament, maintain an objective and rational stance on nuclear transparency issues, and promote international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.

"Both the symptoms and root causes of the prominent risks and challenges in the nuclear field should be addressed. Being obsessed with the Cold War mentality, hyping up major power competition, and inciting bloc confrontation will only lead the international nuclear arms control process into a dead end. The international community should uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, adhere to true multilateralism, respect each other's legitimate security concerns, and work together to promote the international nuclear arms control process," Shen said.

As the current coordinator of the cooperation mechanism of the five nuclear-weapon states, China hosted an expert-level meeting in New York on October 7 to start substantive work during its tenure. China will also continue its efforts to enhance dialogue and cooperation among the five nuclear-weapon states, Shen said.

China calls for global efforts to promote int'l nuclear arms control process