HAVANA, July 22 -- Backed with Chinese biotechnology, Cuba opened on Tuesday a blood glucose test strips plant, which is expected to benefit the island's growing ranks of diabetes patients.

The facility was built thanks to the transfer of technology from China's Changsha SINOCARE Inc. It will begin serial production by the year-end.

Demand for test strips in Cuba grows due to an alarming increase of diabetes among Cubans, who need to monitor their conditions.

Marino Murillo Jorge, vice president of Cuba's Council of Ministers, and Xu Shaoshi, minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, attended the opening ceremony. They also witnessed the signing of agreements on biotechnological cooperation between Chinese and Cuban enterprises.

Cuba attaches great importance to biotechnological cooperation between Cuba and China, said Jorge, adding that the launch of the blood glucose test strips plant will also lift Cuba's industrial development level and enhance its export capacities.

Xu said both countries signed a memorandum on biotechnological cooperation in 2004, and their cooperation has made concrete progress over the past decade since then.