BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Cuba here on Tuesday celebrated the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties at a reception.

Chinese and Cuban government officials as well as people from various circles attended the reception held in the Cuban embassy in China.

Cuba is the first Latin American country to forge diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, in 1960, said Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo when addressing the reception.

China and Cuba have always supported and helped each other in the past fifty years, Dai said, highlighting their fruitful pragmatic cooperation in various areas.

Dai said that the continuous consolidation and development of China-Cuba friendly relations is in the interests of the two nations and their people.

China cherishes its friendly and cooperative ties with Cuba and would like to further deepen the traditional friendship, boost mutual beneficial cooperation and bring benefits to their people, Dai said.

Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, vice president of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, said that the establishment of Cuba-China relations is of historic significance.

The last fifty years have witnessed the close contacts of Cuba-China state leaders, increasing friendship of their people and expanding areas of pragmatic cooperation, Cabrisas said.

Cabrisas added that Cuba is willing to continue advancing its friendly relations with China.