Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, attends a reception marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Cuba, and meets Cuba's ambassador to China Carlos Miguel Pereira in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2020. The reception was jointly organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Cuban embassy in China. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Thursday attended a reception marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Cuba, and met the country's ambassador to China Carlos Miguel Pereira.

Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said Cuba, as the first country in the western hemisphere to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, has been leading Latin America in developing relations with China.

Yang hailed the two countries' joint efforts in combating COVID-19 as the epitome of cooperation in responding to global challenges and practicing the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity with concrete actions.

China is willing to deepen cooperation with Cuba and safeguard common interests to further advance bilateral relations, Yang said.

Pereira said the two countries' cooperation in responding to COVID-19 proves solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon of the international community to defeat the pandemic, pledging Cuba's commitment to promoting bilateral cooperation and advancing ties.

The reception was jointly organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Cuban embassy in China.