Shanghai hosts Charming Cuba Week

It's a big thumbs up as the Charming Cuba Promotion Week is launched in Shanghai. [Photo/WeChat account: scofcom]

The Charming Cuba Promotion Week, co-hosted by the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office and the Cuban Consulate General in Shanghai, was launched on May 5 at the Shanghai International Sister Cities Hub – located at the Shanghai Hongqiao Import Commodities Expo and Trade Center.

The event, which runs to May 19, aims to showcase Cuba's specialty products and promote its biomedicines and tourism industries, in particular.

Zhang Guohua, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, delivered a speech. He said the Shanghai International Sister Cities Hub had proved to be an innovative platform that integrated the resources of international sister cities and the high-quality resources of the renowned annual China International Import Expo, or CIIE.

He said Cuba had participated in the CIIE for five consecutive years, showcasing its great industries and products including its agriculture sector and associated products, its construction sector, as well as its biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries – promoting more trade between the two nations.

He also invited Cuba to participate in the sixth CIIE, to be held in Shanghai in November, as well as to jointly create more cooperation opportunities for industrial, trade and cultural exchanges.

In 2022, Shanghai's imports from Cuba amounted to 66.43 million yuan ($9.6 million), an increase of nearly 150 percent year-on-year.