Bilateral cooperation between China and Cuba will have a prosperous and promising future, the Chinese ambassador to Cuba said on Monday.

Relations and cooperation between the two countries have had fast and smooth development in the past decades, Zhao Rongxian told Xinhua in an interview.

Cuba was the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic ties with China, and the two sides have been supporting each other on politics and international affairs.

China supports Cuba's fight against U.S. embargo while Cuba supports China's bid to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhao said.

In recent years, both sides have strengthened their exchange of high-level visits.

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Cuba in 2004 and 2008, during which both countries signed important economic and commercial agreements.

On Tuesday, top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo will start a visit to Cuba, aiming to boost the friendly ties between the two countries.

Wu's visit coincides with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez' goodwill visit to China on Sept. 1-3.

This shows that China and Cuba attach great importance to bilateral ties, Zhao said.

China and Cuba registered 800 million U.S. dollars in bilateral trade in 2004, and the figure reached more than 2.2 billion in 2008.

As for non-governmental exchanges in such fields as culture, education and sports, both countries aim to strengthen mutual understanding between the two peoples, the ambassador said.

Currently, more than 100 Cubans study in Beijing, Tianjin and other Chinese cities, while many Chinese students go to Cuba to study Spanish and medicine.

There is a friendly atmosphere in the governmental and non-governmental exchanges, which will contribute to the cooperation and friendship between the two countries, Zhao said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2009)