China and Cuba strengthened their cooperation in biotechnology during an official visit by the President of the National Assembly of the People's Power, Esteban Lazo.

Beijing.- Lazo, also head of the Caribbean country’s Council of State, met with Chinese and Cuban businessmen during a visit to the Shandong Lukang joint venture in Shandong province.

According to officials, the parties discussed the CIGB-814 development license agreement and commercial cooperation with the BioCubaFarma group. 

The meeting also highlighted the Sino-Cuban International Joint Research Centre for Innovative Medicines, established between Shandong Lukang Pharmaceutical Company, BioCubaFarma, and China Pharmaceutical University.

Lazo is concluding an official visit to China focused on parliamentary relations, which will last until November 12, as part of an Asian tour that already included Vietnam and Laos. 

The Head of State has already held high-level meetings with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, and Wang Huning, Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Bilateral ties in the biotechnology sector have been growing for 20 years, with the creation of joint ventures and the production of innovative medicines developed by Cuba such as Nimotuzumab.

Recently, the two countries inaugurated a new 100 percent Cuban company in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, owned by BioCubaFarma.

The company, called BioBridge Medical Technology Co. Ltd, will help promote research and development projects and strengthen relations between Chinese, Cuban, and Latin American businessmen in this field in general. (PL)