China Cultivates Cuban Economic Ties.

MIAMI HERALD/
A series of deals by China with Cuba are the result from Chinese economic expansion across the world. Trade between China and Latin America grew from $10 billion in 2000 to $140 billion in 2008.
"The growing relationship suggests that China's financial clout has put it in a position to cultivate something like client states, in the case of Cuba at least, among smaller countries that receive relatively large amounts of Chinese funding and in return toe the line when it comes to issues such as Beijing's controversial policies toward Tibet and Taiwan."