China-Cuba relations are based on trade, credits, and investments which have increased significantly since the 1990s. China is Cuba’s second largest trading partner after Venezuela. China is a major supplier of durable and transportation goods to Cuba.

Chinese-made goods are a staple of Cuba’s consumer markets that rely almost exclusively on foreign imports. Eighty percent of food rationed to the public is imported, with Cuba obtaining a large share of its annual 500,000 tons of milled rice from China. China continues to purchase about 400,000 tons of sugar annually, roughly one third of total current production.

There were little substantive contacts between China and Cuba during the period of Cold War from the middle of the 1960s to the early 1980s.Contacts in various fields were restored gradually from the year 1983.

Since 1990s, the two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchange of visits and cooperation and exchanges in various fields have continuously expanded.

In 1993, Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited Cuba. In 1995, Cuban President Fidel Castro visited China.

During April 12-15, 2001, at the invitation of President Castro, President Jiang paid a state visit to Cuba.

From Feb. 26 to March 1, 2003, at the invitation of President Jiang, President Castro paid a state visit to China.

During the visit, Hu Jintao, General Secretary of CPC Central Committee and Vice-President of China, Chairman Li Peng of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, Premier Zhu Rongji and Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao met with him respectively.

From Nov. 22 to 23, 2004, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Cuba.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), paid an official good-will visit to Cuba from May 12 to 15, 2005.

Wu Guanzheng, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, visited Cuba from April 19 to 23, 2007.

The two countries signed the Joint Communique on Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Cuba (RC) on Sept. 28, 1960.

They also inked the Agreement on Mutual Exemption of Passport Visa in November 1988, and the Trade Agreement between the Government of PRC and the Government of RC in May 1999.

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