The Communist Party of China (CPC), due to celebrate its 96th founding anniversary on July 1, has put China on a path to a "promising future," thanks to its domestic and foreign policies that promote mutual respect and shared interests, said a leading Cuban academic.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Maria Teresa Montes de Oca, director of Chinese studies at the University of Havana, said the party leadership has a clear vision of the direction the country should take to achieve development.
"Those who have followed the path that the Chinese embarked on more than 40 years ago with reforms, the opening up of the economy, and the modernization of its economic model" can see that the policies "have led to successful formulas for the well-being of its people," said Montes de Oca.
China has launched various initiatives to spur global trade and cooperation and to promote development both at home and abroad, she noted.
"The implementation of different mechanisms for cooperation, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, reflects the full scope of the strategic goals China aims to consolidate," said Montes de Oca.
Over the past decade, many emerging countries have worked to form joint strategies primarily designed to defend their common interests, while criticizing other economic systems and imposing their own regulations, the academic said.
But "China, not coincidentally, appears as the standard bearer of initiatives that promote fair trade in the face of commercialization that impoverishes producers and societies," said Montes de Oca.
For those reasons, it is crucial for Latin American and Caribbean countries, especially Cuba, to continue their exchanges with China at all levels, so as to learn from the Asian giant's experience in designing a political and economic model that meets the needs of its people.
"Let's learn from China's experience, as it is an alternative to the threats of the West," said Montes de Oca.
Closer ties between China and Latin America strengthen south-south cooperation in the interests of regional development, she said.
China is participating more in such regional development mechanisms, such as the Inter-American Development Bank and Latin American Integration Association.
"All of these organizations -- along with others such as APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) -- constitute timely platforms for promoting partnerships in politics and trade," she said.
