Cuban president highlights China's role in COVID-19 fight

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Wednesday highlighted China's exemplary role in fighting COVID-19 during a virtual conference.

"Even those who use derogatory speech referring to a 'Chinese virus' have benefited from China's solidarity," he said during the High-Level Conference on Economy, Finance and Trade convened by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) at the request of the Venezuelan government.

Diaz-Canel said that China has had an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the Chinese government has made important contributions to the World Health Organization and other nations during the COVID-19 crisis.

"The current state and common sense lead the international community to leave aside political differences and find joint solutions via international cooperation and indispensable solidarity," the president said.

Diaz-Canel also condemned the economic sanctions imposed by the United States for threatening the development of nations such as Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Founded initially by Cuba and Venezuela in 2004, the ALBA bloc aims to reduce Latin America's reliance on Western aid by promoting intra-regional alliances and cooperation in key sectors such as energy and trade.