China delivers first batch of emergency rice aid to Cuba

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.

China delivers first batch of emergency rice aid to Cuba

China delivers first batch of emergency rice aid to Cuba

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday that the European Union stands in full solidarity with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, stressing that their sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.

In a special address at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, von der Leyen said the EU is preparing an Arctic security support package built on five pillars, including stepped-up investment in Greenland's economy and infrastructure and increased defense spending on European icebreaker capability.

Full solidarity with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark is the first principle, and the sovereignty and integrity of their territory is non-negotiable, she noted.

Von der Leyen said the EU also plans to channel a major European investment push into Greenland to support the local economy and infrastructure, while using the bloc's defense spending increase to bolster European icebreaker capability and other equipment seen as vital to Arctic security.

She said Europe must adjust to a "new security architecture and realities" and is preparing its own security strategy, including an upgraded Arctic strategy, to be published later this year.

"And at the heart of this will be the fundamental principle: It is for sovereign people to decide their own future," she said.

Sovereignty, integrity of Greenland, Denmark's territory "non-negotiable": Ursula von der Leyen