BioCubaFarma signed three cooperation agreements with unidentified Chinese partners in Shanghai, at the closing of the IV Forum on Cooperation Opportunities in the Biotechnology Sector Cuba-China, held as part of the China International Import Expo (CIIE).
The agreements cover the development and innovation of medications, the production of diagnostics, and the establishment of a joint biopharmaceutical laboratory, according to the agency EFE.
The Cuban television showcased two products that Cuba took to China: Proctokinase in suppositories for patients with hemorrhoids, and Palmex in capsules, an antioxidant nutritional supplement used to support prostate health. The regime claims it is seeking partners to produce them for both the Chinese and Cuban markets.
The signing of these agreements took place while Cuban pharmacies remain empty. In June, the president of BioCubaFarma, Mayda Mauri Pérez, admitted that the group cannot guarantee 300 of the 395 medications pledged to the national health system.
In addition to the three agreements, the regime announced the future opening of a joint research and development center, which would be the eleventh of its kind established in China with Cuban involvement.
Cuban state media also mentioned "more than 30 joint projects at various stages," a figure that comes solely from official sources and has not been independently verified.
The Cuban delegation in Shanghai was led by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga.
The agreements were signed during a week of heightened diplomatic tension with the United States and strengthening of bilateral relations with the Asian giant.
On November 5, Washington sanctioned two Chinese companies —CEIEC and Beijing H&C Technologies— for allegedly supplying military components and equipment to the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba through the intermediary company Sociedad Mercantil Duna S.A.
Beijing responded immediately. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, stated that "cooperation with Cuba is open and transparent" and that China "will take all necessary measures to protect its companies." The Cuban regime accused Washington of trying to "hinder and sabotage" cooperation with China.
Days later, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla traveled to Beijing as a special envoy of the Communist Party and the Cuban Government, marking his second visit to China in 2026. Wang Yi promised that Beijing would support Havana "regardless of how circumstances evolve," without announcing any new specific economic commitments.
Critical voices both inside and outside of Cuba remind us that previous biotechnology agreements with China have not alleviated the shortages in hospitals or pharmacies.
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