The Cuban National Defense Council met on Saturday and reviewed and approved plans and measures for the country's transition to a 'state of war', according to a statement released on the official website of the Cuban Presidential Palace.
The meeting was held under the purpose of enhancing and improving the combat readiness and coordination capabilities of command organizations at all levels and relevant personnel, and served as "part of the country's preparation under the strategic concept of the War of the Entire People", said the statement.
It comes amid heightened tensions between Cuba and the United States after the U.S. launched large-scale military strikes against Venezuela earlier this month, during which it forcibly seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before taking them to New York.
The U.S. attack on Venezuela led to the deaths of 32 Cuban soldiers, whose remains were flown back to the country on Thursday. Thousands gathered on the streets of Havana on Friday to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers and protest against the U.S. military actions which have received widespread condemnation worldwide.
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that Cuba could become the next target following the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, and in a social media post urged Cuba to "make a deal" or face consequences, and said that the flow of Venezuelan oil and money to Cuba would be stopped.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said Cuba will not initiate attacks or threats against any country, but is prepared to defend every inch of its territory.
Cuba approves plans on transition to 'state of war' amid US tensions
Cuba approves plans on transition to 'state of war' amid US tensions
Li Li, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) from southwest China's Guizhou Province, has made it her mission to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Buyi people, particularly their traditional clothing.
Born and raised in a village of Qinglong County, Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Li began learning the intricate handicrafts of the Buyi people from her mother at a young age.
After spending over a decade working away from home, she felt a strong calling to return and safeguard her cultural roots. In 2015, she returned to her roots to start a business with the vision to revitalize Buyi clothing.
"Starting my own business was really tough in the beginning. If you want to make a Western-style suit, you could just buy some fabric and copy an existing design. But ethnic clothing is different. It requires constant innovation, and that takes a huge amount of time. Traditional fabrics tend to fade, and I spent months just trying to figure out how to fix the color. This problem had kept me up for a long time. But eventually, I tackled the challenges one by one," Li said.
Her persistence has paid off. This year, Li's team tapped into the cultural symbolism of the Year of the Horse, creating a range of horse-themed products that have quickly gained popularity.
"This year is the Year of the Horse, so we created a lot of horse-themed items. They are very popular and orders have been pouring in. Every year, we design our cultural products and clothing based on what the market wants. We started with a 300-square-meter workshop, and now we have our own intangible cultural heritage center. Over the years, we've trained more than a thousand embroiderers," she said.
As a grassroots NPC deputy, Li prioritizes listening to the voices of ordinary people. During work sessions with embroiderers, she takes time to listen to their concerns and offers flexible schedules for those with special needs.
The preservation of ethnic clothing and culture has always been at the heart of her work.
"During this year's 'two sessions', I will continue to focus on the preservation of ethnic clothing and culture. I want to encourage more young people to get involved in cultural inheritance. For example, I've been going to schools to teach students because I hope that intangible cultural heritage can take root in children's hearts from an early age. I want them to grow up knowing how remarkable our ethnic culture is and to develop a strong sense of cultural pride," Li said.
The "two sessions" refer to the annual meetings of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Conference, China's top political advisory body,which usually convene in early March.
NPC deputy from Guizhou revitalizes Buyi culture through inheritance and innovation
