29 October 2018
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the president of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel, the president of Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina, and the president of El Salvador, Salvador Sanchez Ceren will begin an official visit to China Wednesday for more than a week (Oct. 31 to Nov. 8).
The three Latin American leaders have been invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi is expected to receive and hold official talks with each of the three presidents, who along with 15 other presidents will participate in the opening of China’s first International Import Expo on Nov. 5 in Shanghai.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, stressed the importance of Diaz-Canel’s first visit to the Asian country, where he will meet with Xi and other Chinese leaders.
“In the current circumstances, we believe that with this visit we will continue to strengthen our bilateral ties of friendship,” the spokesperson said at a press conference.
The international import expo also has the support of the President of Panama Juan Carlos Varela. El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Panama recently decided to establish diplomatic ties with the Asian giant and this visit looks to make their ties stronger.
Medina and Sanchez Ceren will inaugurate their respective embassies in Beijing during their stay.
The spokesman of the Chinese diplomacy also informed that among the participants in the forum of Shanghai is the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, the Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, and the Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who will also meet with his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang, during his visit.
