Beijing gives boost to Fidel

By Toby Westerman

With all the attention paid to the immigration tragicomedy involving
Elian Gonzalez, little notice has gone to Cuba’s move to modernize its
telecommunications and computer capabilities — or its attempt to
develop an advanced electronics industry on the island nation with
China’s help.

Wu Jichuan, head of Beijing’s Information Industry Ministry, led a
delegation from China on a recent three-day visit to Cuba, according to
Radio Habana Cuba, the official broadcasting service of the Cuban
government.

Cuban President Fidel Castro congratulated the Chinese delegation for
its efforts and for China’s continued “solidarity” with Havana.
According to Castro, relations between the two communist nations “have
never been better.”

“China will play a decisive role in the improvement of Cuban
telecommunications,” said Wu. Concluding the visit, the two nations
signed a cooperation protocol in the areas of information and
communications technology.

Wu has been successful in greatly expanding advanced communications
technology within mainland China, as well as keeping that technology
firmly in under governmental control — especially the Internet.

The Chinese delegation’s visit comes at a time when Cuba seeks to end
the 40-year U.S. embargo against the island. There is increasing
pressure from U.S. business and agricultural communities to begin brisk
trade with Cuba and take advantage of a new and potentially highly
profitable market.

A delegation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, led by Chamber of
Commerce Vice President Craig Johnstone, arrived in Cuba the same day
the Chinese delegation departed. Johnstone’s visit successfully
“refined” agreements previously concluded at last year’s Chamber of
Commerce visit to the island.

“Now we’re ready to move,” Johnstone stated, adding that he received
“excellent cooperation from the government of Cuba” and had “excellent
meetings” with various Cuban officials. If he can obtain permission
from the U.S. government, Johnstone says he is planning to bring a
delegation of Cuban business leaders to the U.S.

Cuba seeks to attract foreign investment and has patterned its own
brand of economic reform based upon China’s experience. In 1995, Castro
visited China and stated that China’s experiment with market reform was
“an example” for the Cuban government.

While many hope Cuba will follow the Chinese model of market reforms
— with a “subversive exhibit” of “anti-socialist and pro-capitalist
art” recently closed after Cuban authorities learned of it — many are
also concerned that Fidel’s island nation will continue to follow the
Chinese model of political repression.

Toby Westerman

I.J. Toby Westerman, is a contributing reporter for WorldNetDaily and editor/publisher of International News Analysis Today. Read more of Toby Westerman's articles here.