Feature: Chinese online platform gains popularity with Cuban users

HAVANA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Daniel Lasso, who runs a print shop in the Havana district of El Vedado, has benefitted a lot from Nihao53, a Chinese online platform for wholesale trade that has become increasingly popular with Cuban users.

With a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Havana, Lasso opened a family-run business five years ago. The 36-year-old regularly acquires products through the platform, including cups, glasses, key rings and magnets.

He told Xinhua that access to the Chinese market helps keep his business running by securing a steady supply of products.

"So far so good," he said. "We are buying products that are not available in the Cuban market. It helps expand our business and increase our earnings."

Lasso's workmate Fidel Nunez said that the quality of Chinese products is undeniable.

"It has been highly beneficial for our business," said the 39-year-old. "Our cooperation with Nihao53 has resulted in a jump in the quality of services we provide to our clients."

Elsewhere in the city, Alejandro Rodriguez, 25, who runs a grocery store in the district of Playa, has also profited from the platform.

"We are now buying hygiene items on the platform. We also need to get tomato sauces, pasta and frozen foods. It offers a flexible payment system," Rodriguez said.

Launched in Cuba in November 2011 and operated by China's Leke Holding Group, Nihao53 digital platform offers a variety of raw materials, foods, and hygiene items to Cuban users. Now it has nearly 2,000 registered local users.

Mario Rios, director of the business development and sales department of Nihao53 in Cuba, told Xinhua that the platform will soon provide state-of-the-art machinery for small-scale businesses on the island.

"We also expect to import renewable energy infrastructure in the future," he said. "We will continue to bet on the Cuban market."

According to the Cuban Ministry of Economy and Planning, more than 8,590 small and medium-sized enterprises have been approved to operate in the country since September 2021.