Cuba receives Chinese aid as it grapples with aftermath of heavy rains

HAVANA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Cuba received on Tuesday 100,000 U.S. dollars in disaster relief aid from China's Red Cross Society to help recovery efforts following torrential rains in the country's central and eastern regions that have killed several people, damaged homes and displaced thousands.

At the handover ceremony in Havana, Ma Hui, China's ambassador to Cuba, underscored the toll the disaster had taken on the country's agriculture, saying that China has done its best to provide humanitarian assistance when disasters hit Cuba in recent years.

This speaks volumes for the friendship between China and Cuba, Ma said.

Cuba's Deputy Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Deborah Rivas thanked the humanitarian organization for offering the aid. She called it a testament to the strong ties between the two countries.