Chinese President to Visit Cuba in July
HAVANA TIMES — July will be the month that two major world leaders visit Havana. First Russia’s Vladimir Putin is expected on July 11 to be followed less than two weeks later by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Both presidents are traveling to the Americas to attend the BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China y South Africa) on July 15-16 in Fortaleza Brazil and will take advantage of their journey to also visit Argentina and Cuba.
Chinese government spokesperson Quin Gang said Xi will visit Brasil, Argentina and Cuba in the week following the summit (July 17-23).
The trip to Latin America by the Chinese president is his second since taking office. Just over a year ago he visited Costa Rica, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago. As vice president he visited Cuba in 2011, meeting with both Raul and Fidel Castro.
With the current volatile economic situation in Venezuela, and the continuing US embargo on the island, the Cuban government actively seeks to increase cooperation from both China and Russia.
Mr. MacDuff,
Thanks for asking so many whys. I also have a few whys to ask:
Why did British started 2 Opium wars, in 1839 and 1856? Why did the British troops massacred over 70,000 civilians just at one place outside of Beijing, let alone of other massacres smaller scales through out the 2 wars?
Why did Britain occupied Hong Kong for 150 years and Kauloon and New Territory for 99 years?
Why did the British never stop their effort to invade Tibet, in the 300 years, when controlled India and they went so far as passing free passports to Tibetans as longs as they willing to accept them?
Why did CIA support Dalai lama, armed and trained Tibetan slave owners, to fight Chinese troops, while known full well that Tibet has been part of China since the 13th century and that the about 40% of the Tibetan population were slaves owned by slave owners,in 1950. A social system that were abandoned and considered “evil” every since the American Civil War?
Why did the British and American press consider the massacre of Han Chinese in Xin Jiang, in 2009, a justifiable act of Uighur and portraying Uighur were victims of Han migration, while knowing full well that freedom of movement is a basic human right and a Chinese citizen have the right to live and work anywhere inside China?
Why did Obama Administration released several terrorist that they caught in Afghanistan, from Guntanamo Cuba, but refused to turn them back to China, even they were given evidences that those people were part of the terrorist group that responsible for quite a number of terrorist attacks in China, against civilians?
Why was No. 7 Fleet stopped the Chinese people from unifying with Taiwan, in 1949, while Taiwan was turned to and legally consider part of China since 1946?
Why does the US Navy plan to deploy 70% of their war ships and troops before 2020, in East Asia, with long rang missile shields system and long rang anti-missile radars placed along the Chinese coast? Why does US keep sending military planes, ships and personals, spy on China almost at a daily basis?
Please also don’t tell me that Taiwan was “discovered” by Portuguese in 16th century while you can see Taiwan, from the coast of Fujian province of China, on a good sunny day! And trust me, I did that myself.
“….That’s reality”. (farmland etc).Yes, I noticed that too. BTW, I am only a casual tourist, going to Cuba once a year, maybe, and I’d like very much to spend more time in Cuba.
I’d argue it has a lot to do with the embargo, more than you know. Basically, Cuba is an island economy, there is no way Cuba can have a balanced self-sustained economy. It needs external economy to compliment domestic development. To encourage domestic farming, food prices have to be high, which will put pressure on the city residents, then you have social instability. (It may be in the name of freedom, democracy, etc, etc.), you get your own Tiananmen Square. Cuban government, managed to keep people fed, clothed, educated and with healthcare! That’s really something. Is it right for people to criticize the government, that they don’t have certain things? No. Because policy is about trade-off. Cuban people and government made that choice. (the result is acres of land not farmed. that’s economic principle at work. That’s the reality). You cannot have it both ways. Do people have the right to criticize, yes, they do. No need to send in the tanks.
I am not economist, my take is that there is nothing wrong with importing food. The question is how to use the land. for example, factories can be built, or farming. US embargo took away the first choice (Cuba can be the factory floor for the US, just like parts of China.) And I guess it can be argued that it is better/cheaper to import food than subsidize people to work in the field. I love the Cuban weather, but to pick up a farm tool, working in the fields, and get paid more or less the same as office clerk? No way.
I remember this Xi of China, was quoted as saying: “There are some bored foreigners, with full stomachs, who have nothing better to do than point fingers at us … First, China doesn’t export Revolution; second, China doesn’t export hunger and poverty; third, China doesn’t come and cause you headaches, what more is there to be said? ”
Now he is coming to Cuba, maybe you can ask him all those questions.
I think Mr. Zhao made it pretty clear, that, you in the free world can discuss things, but the Chinese people need to eat.
By the way, you seem to know awful lot about popular issues regarding China, but do not sound quite impartial (or unbiased), from the way you phrase those questions. Some of questions do have some sort of the objective answers.
Thank you for not bringing up Hitler though, judging from the direction of the discussion is heading, the subject is about to come up.
So what was the initial question again? Whether a strong China is good or bad for Cuba. Right?
As one who spends more than half my time at home in Cuba – hence long absences from blogs – I don’t think you have examined the consequences of the Castro regime policies. Hundreds of thousands of acres of good agricultural land reverting to bush coupled with the now need to import 80% of food. That’s reality!
I too am critical of the US embargo – but it is not as described by the Castro regime a “Blockade”. Being stopped by the police in the street because we are of mixed race – is that the best possible policy. With friends like Russia and China and North Korea and Zimbabwe and Syria who needs…………….? the best possible policy?
It is wrong to assume that we all belong to the US and that it is necessarily representative of all democracy. Churchill defined the Parliamentary system of democracy as imperfect but better than all the alternatives and the US has an alternative system.
Why doesn’t China commemorate the Tiannamin Square deaths? Why are people not at liberty to disagree with their political masters? Why is there not total freedom of the internet? Why is the population of Hong Kong demonstrating? Why do the people of Taiwan fear China? Why does China seek to control the territorial waters of other nations? Why is Vietnam worried about China? Why was it necessary for China to annex Tibet? These are the type of questions Mr.Zhao that we in the free (none American) world are asking and discussing.
Mr. MacDuff, To answer your first question, One must realize that the calculation I did, only an estimation, used relative GDP growth of 6.03% – the difference btw. Chinese and US, not a absolute value. Which means as long as Chinese GDP is 6.03% higher than the US GDP growth, is will still work…
I am also aware that in terms of per cap. the difference is much larger and will take a lot longer for Chinese to catch up. However my question is if the amount of $4,300 dollars per cap. enough for a regular Chinese to live reasonably well?
The answer is yes, remember the buying power of $4300 dollars in China is significantly different/better, than in the US, in every aspect of day to day lives, except in real-estate :).
To the 2nd question you asked, about if the Chinese population will put up, with their Government, my answer is yes too, at least for the next few decades. Here is the reason:
In 1979, when the economic reformed started in China, my parents’ combined monthly income was around $30 dollars, now even both of them being pension collectors, their combined income is around $1,000 dollars, which should be consider average in their city. They live in their 3 beds apartment, paid off many years ago, they use a network a subway system to travel inside the city, for free (as senior citizens) and spending 3 to 6 months travelling around the country, visiting relatives and friends…
What will be their motivation to over throw a government like this?
More importantly, what is the alternative? You have seen the chaos in every country that the American intervened, Korea, Vietnam, Chile, Argentina, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, etc.
If you read the Chinese history, the American was doing the same thing in China, as they did in Iraq. Till the Communist kicked them out in 1949. Why would the Chinese turn their country into another Iraq?
By the way, you know these is a civil war going on, in Iraq now, again just like 1945 to 1949 in China. And again, another brilliant example of the American Way.
The opportunity to improve the situation will hopefully be buffered with kind . low
impact on the corral reefs and natural lands that the commitees have kept so well.
The example for humanity has already been documented in these areas in todays Cuba. The ability to make things last is of utmost importance after all there is no money, that can replace your health and Cuban healthcare is world class as well. Instead Cuban people would maintain there spirit and the different kind of freedom that has served it and God
The north American natives also had this “Great Spirit” they called it. which kept them and there lands so pristine for thousands of years in simple collectives that made things last .Learn from the downfall of these societies
and tailor your future for the peoples and what is most important your health and thus continue to be a world leader in those areas . God willing
Thank you
I am interested in what you say Mr. Zhao. The most recent actual figures provided for GDP for China are $5.927bn and for the US $14,587 – reasonably close to your own estimate based upon yourapproximate figures for the respective populations. As an economist you will however no doubt agree that China will have difficulty in maintaining its GDP average rate of growth for the period youi gave and that the US economy will in all probability improve. However in the longer term China with well over four times the population of the US will catch up on GDP but will still have a much lower standard of living.
I would be most interested to know from you as one born in China and I imagine still having a network of family and friends there, your assessment of whether the population will continue to accept the current system of government for the 16 years you mention?
1. GDP per capita, in my opinion, is irrelevant here. Luxembourg has the highest GDP, almost twice that of the US, so what?
2. Of all the people I talked to in the US, they all say the US Cuba policy is stupid, insane.
3. What’s important, I think, is the relative size and proximity of Cuba to the US. Just like to Vietnam to China. Unless Vietnam rollover and play dead, Vietnam and China relationship will not improve. We can all feel sad about the same ideology, party, etc, etc. In the end, it means little. Guess who is the best friend of Vietnam now (hint: the US).
4. Then again, because Cuba is so far from Russia and China, they will always be friends, even in the worst of times.
5. I love Cuba and hope for the best, and believe that the Cuban government has adopted the best possible policy for its people under the circumstances, all the criticism are just that, criticism.
As someone who study economics and actually born in China. Let me tell you how GDP and Per Capital GDP works.
US Per Cap x population = $47,150 x 320M = 15,088,000M
Chinese Per Cap x Population = $4430 x 1,355M (1.355B) = 6,002,650M
Chinese GDP = 40% of US GDP
Average USD GDP growth 1.39% from 2006 to 2014
Avg. Chinese GDP growth 7.42 from 2006 to 2014
Difference = 7.42 – 1.39 = 6.03% per year. it takes 15.82 years for Chinese economic to catch up with US.
I think 15 years is a very short time consider it took the US 230 some years to get here and Chinese only started to 35 years ago…
Become an ally of China at your peril – ask Vietnam. Russia as a superpower – with a declining population, with life expectancy for men of 63.3 years, with expenditure upon education at 4.1% and for health a mere 5.1%, with inflation running at 10.0% over five years and where criticism of the President results in being putin jail.?
With a GDP of $4,430 per capita compared with the US $47,150, China still has a long way to go and the people are a little restless.
It won’t be long before the Chinese will be going to bat for Cuba and dictating to the US government their terms and timetable for the dismantling of the US trade embargo. This will come about as a prelude to China’s utilization of Cuba as a satellite manufacturing and/or assembly location and convenient point of entry to US markets for Chinese funded products. The days of US dominance over Cuba are numbered as the US sits idle instead of negotiating with the Cuban government directly…where the US could at least save face and make some progress with Cuba in front of the world. How embarrassing will it be to have China dictating to the American government what to do with regards to Cuba. But then again, China’s pressure on America surely won’t be disclosed as public knowledge. Still, I can’t wait to hear the BS coming from Washington as they try to publicly rationalize and take credit for normalizing relations with Cuba…all the while concealing the real motivating factor behind their new found ability to happily embrace the current Cuban government of Raul Castro.
Good to have the leaders of the future ‘Super Powers’ on board. Given time, the childish embargo the ‘glorious’ US of A has will be as effective as a chocolate fire guard.