By Dilbert Reyes Rodríguez, Yesey Pérez López
Mention your Chinese heritage while walking through Havana’s streets, and you will likely encounter warm smiles – a reciprocity mirrored in Beijing – where Cubans receive immediate hospitality upon revealing their origins. Separated by oceans but bound by history and shared ideals, Cuba and China continue to chart a course of enduring friendship.
2025 marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Cuba and China. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral ties are ascending to new heights. At Granma, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee , we have long placed great emphasis on covering news related to China – politics, culture, economy, and society. Our sustained cooperation with People’s Daily has established a crucial bridge in deepening mutual understanding and trust between our two nations.
Our cooperation took a significant leap last August when we were invited to attend the 2024 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road, hosted by People’s Daily. During the event, we signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding and embarked on a media journey through Chengdu, Zigong, Yibin, Guangzhou, and Foshan, gaining firsthand insight into China’s rapid development.
We marveled at China’s high-speed railways, observed autonomous driving in action, and toured smart factories humming with innovation. At the same time, we delved into the richness of Chinese civilization – exploring the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, strolling the Yongqing Fang historical alleyways, and attending performances at the Cantonese Opera Art Museum in Guangzhou – deeply moved by China’s reverence for its historical and cultural heritage.
These moments sparked something more than stories. They gave birth to a new voice: “Diarios De Navegacion” (“Navigation Diaries”), a dedicated column in Granma for sharing China’s stories in the new era, was officially launched at the 2024 China-Latin America and Caribbean Media Cooperation Forum held in Rio de Janeiro last October.
Since its inception, the column has published more than 70 stories – a living record of the Cuba-China friendship. In Cuba, we have covered vibrant cultural exchanges, such as the “Happy Spring Festival” co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Cuba and local institutions, which brought together Chinese traditions with Caribbean flair.
In China, we reported on the “two sessions,” breaking down the Chinese government work report to help our readers better understand Chinese concepts such as whole-process people’s democracy and Chinese modernization. We also covered China’s consistent support for Cuba’s UN resolutions opposing the U.S. blockade – demonstrating China’s firm commitment to Cuban sovereignty and resistance to external interference.
A recent milestone was our reporting on the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum. We provided timely analyses of the cooperation proposals put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, underscoring the shared aspirations of Latin America and China for peace, development, and cooperation.
Meanwhile, our journalists have conducted field reporting across Beijing, Jiangsu, Henan, and other regions. In Henan’s Luoyang, we visited the birthplace of the “Dongfanghong” tractor – a legendary symbol of China’s agricultural modernization and now widely used on Cuban farms. We’ve also written about the cultural and historical resonance of the Great Wall, Jiangsu’s innovative cultural-tourism integration, and China’s extensive low-carbon development expertise. These stories have enriched our newspaper and drawn strong online engagement, with numerous Cuban readers acknowledging China’s growing global influence and recognizing its development model as a valuable reference for Global South countries .
The column has become more than a collection of words and images – it is a new bridge for cultural exchanges between Cuba and China. For our reporting team, contributing to the building of a Cuba-China community with a shared future and promoting much-needed dialogue among civilizations is both an honor and a responsibility. As a faithful chronicle of the evolving Cuba-China relationship, “Diarios De Navegacion” will continue documenting each chapter of cooperation between our countries, bearing witness as our friendship sails toward a brighter future.
(Dilbert Reyes Rodríguez is the director of the Granma newspaper, and Yesey Pérez López is the director of communications of the Granma newspaper.)
