Interview: Collaboration with China in computerization, cybersecurity important to Cuba — senior official

Abstract : Collaboration with China in the fields of computerization and cybersecurity has strategic importance to Cuba, a high ranking official has said.

by Yosley Carrero

HAVANA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) — Collaboration with China in the fields of
computerization and cybersecurity has strategic importance to Cuba, a
high ranking official has said.

“We reaffirm the profound links that unite Cuba and China, in the
context of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between the two countries,” Wilfredo Gonzalez, Cuba’s first
deputy minister of communications, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Bilateral collaboration in the field of communications has gained
major prominence against rising unilateralism worldwide, according to
the official.

The two countries increased collaboration in telecommunications after signing a memorandum of understanding in July 2014.

As a result, Cuban human resources in this field have received
training in China, and cooperation between Chinese tech companies and
their Cuban counterparts has increased over the past few years.

In December 2019, the two countries held the first China-Cuba
Internet Forum in Havana, hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of
China and the Cuban Ministry of Communications, to share experiences in
internet governance, network management, among other topics.

Cuba is expected to continue strengthening participation in the
China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, said Gonzalez, noting the
importance of China’s Digital Silk Road as a multilateral platform for
promoting the development of the participating countries.

China has participated with infrastructure and technical assistance
in the process of computerization of the Cuban society, by which “the
Cuban government promotes the creation and use of digital platforms to
facilitate the participation of people in society,” he continued.

Telecommunications infrastructure has steadily grown, facilitating
the increase of mobile network coverage on the island to around 60
percent, according to Gonzalez.

“Public Wifi hotspots and mobile internet service with access to 4G
platforms have increased chances for people to go online across the
country,” he said.

Cuba also became the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean
to adopt China’s terrestrial digital TV broadcasts after nearly 45,000
converter boxes were distributed among Havana households in 2013
following a Chinese government donation.

“Digital TV in Cuba has also registered significant progress,
reaching 76.2 percent in population coverage in standard definition and
45.7 percent in high definition,” he said.

As regards the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba has promoted “the use of big
data tools, mathematic models to monitor the spread of the virus
nationwide, and the use of digital platforms linked to diagnosis,
management, surveillance, prevention and control of the disease,”
Gonzalez noted.

Although the Cuban communications sector lost more than 64 million
U.S. dollars between April 2019 and March 2020 due to the U.S. blockade
against the island, its workers have helped the country maintain the
vitality of essential services during the health emergency, he added.

So far, Cuban experts have developed software products such as
Transfermovil, EnZona, and Ecured, in addition to significant steps
taken to increase cybersecurity of public administration, economy and
services nationwide. Enditem

About Xinhua Silk Road

Xinhua Silk Road (en.imsilkroad.com) is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) portal.China’s silk road economic belt and the 21st century maritime silk road website,includes BRI Policy, BRI Trade, BRI Investment, Belt and Road weekly, Know Belt and Road, and the integrated information services for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Source: Interview: Collaboration with China in computerization, cybersecurity important to Cuba — senior official