China delivers first batch of emergency rice aid to Cuba

China

China delivers first batch of emergency rice aid to Cuba

2026-01-20 15:02 Last Updated At：01-21 01:07

The handover ceremony for the first batch of rice under China's emergency food assistance program to Cuba was held on Monday at a grain transit warehouse of Cuba's Ministry of Domestic Trade.

Attending the event were Cuban Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga; Minister of Domestic Trade Betsy Díaz Velázquez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Déborah Rivas Saavedra; and Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Hua Xin, among others.

At the ceremony, Perez-Oliva said that the donated supplies fully reflect China's valuable assistance to Cuba and the deep friendship between the two countries.

In addition to food aid, the two sides have engaged in extensive cooperation in areas such as energy, achieving rapid and effective progress, he said.

Cuba sincerely thanks the Chinese government for its support under the current challenging circumstances, and it is a concrete practice of jointly building a China-Cuba community with a shared future, the Cuban senior official said.

Hua Xin said the assistance not only embodies the profound special friendship between China and Cuba, but also demonstrates the firm conviction of the two sides to stand together through storms and challenges.

"Today, we witnessed the official delivery of the first batch of the emergency food aid assisted by the Chinese government. We believe that through joint efforts, no blockade can extinguish the light of hope, and no difficulty can hinder our progress. China is willing to continue strengthening cooperation with Cuba, overcoming difficulties together, and injecting greater momentum into building a China-Cuba community with a shared future," the Chinese ambassador said.

The total volume of rice assistance under this program amounts to 30,000 tonnes. The second batch has already arrived smoothly at the port of Santiago de Cuba, and subsequent batches are set to be shipped soon.

Chinese ballet "A Dream of the Red Mansion" debuts in Singapore

Ballet "A Dream of the Red Mansion", an original production by the National Ballet of China, took the stage in Singapore this week, bringing one of China's most famous literary works to Singaporean audiences.

Performed at the Esplanade from Thursday to Sunday, the show was supported by the Chinese Embassy in Singapore and organized by the China Enterprises Association (Singapore). It follows a tour in Bangkok, Thailand, marking the troupe's second overseas stop.

The ballet tells the story of Jia Baoyu through the language of choreography, delving into his innermost emotions and weaving together iconic scenes from the classic novel by Chinese writer Cao Xueqin to depict the grandeur and decline of the Grand View Garden.

Chinese Ambassador Cao Zhongming said the ballet interprets classic literature from the contemporary perspective, and blends classical ballet vocabulary with Chinese choreographic aesthetics, showing that the Chinese culture is both historical and contemporary, belonging to the Chinese nation and to the whole world as well.