Havana, February 15 (RHC)-- Cuban authorities thanked on Monday for a donation of 300 tons of rice from the Chinese company Yutong, equivalent to 210,000 dollars. The gesture reaffirms the friendship ties between the two countries.

In acknowledging the donation, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Déborah Rivas, said it ratified the close relations between the company and the island, a market for which it has bet for more than 15 years.

Rivas stressed that Cuba gives great importance to Yutong, which it considers a strategic partner to ensure interprovincial and urban transportation. It has also been revealed to be a close friend and willing to reach out, as demonstrated since 2020 the  COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Grisel Avila, deputy head of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, stressed that the donation contributes to mitigating the effects of the intensified U.S. economic blockade on the island and specified that it would be destined to hospitals and homes for the elderly and the population.

Yutong's representative in Cuba, Yang Tengfei, said at the ceremony that the delivery is the true manifestation of the profound relationship established with the Cuban people in recent years.