Cuba has signed an agreement to expand trade with the Chinese province of Zhejiang this week. The hope is to advance cooperation, trade and investment in a number of sectors ranging from transport, solar energy, to telecommunications and infrastructure. CGTN's Joel Richards reports from Havana.

At Cuba's historic National Hotel, a meet and greet between Cuban and Chinese business leaders.

Here, thirty Chinese companies are looking for opportunities and contacts on this island, and everything from basic goods to companies specialising in renewable energy.

JACOB HUAYI INTERNATIONAL POWER "Cuba has wind resources. We already installed five sets in Chile, so the standard (of the) technology is same as Chile here."

This week Cuba signed an agreement with Zhejiang, the fourth largest province in China in terms of GDP. It lays down the legal framework to increase trade and commerce, and investment.

RUBEN RAMOS, VICE PRESIDENT CUBA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE "China has become our second largest trade partner in the world, and one of the most important destinations for our exports. So between our countries, there has been important cooperation in areas such as transport, solar energy, agro, industry and other sectors."

China is playing an increasingly visible role in the Cuban economy.

JOEL RICHARDS HAVANA Despite meetings like this between the chambers of commerce from both countries, many people believe that the pace with which trade, commerce and investment between Cuba and China's growing is still too slow.

The economist Omar Everleny says the volume of trade with China has remained constant in the past 10 years. He thinks China, but also other countries, should have a greater presence in Cuba's economy.

OMAR EVERLENY ECONOMIST "There is a plateau, more or less two billion dollars, of commerce with China. For us it is important, as well as better relations with the US, to diversify the portfolio. You can't have all the eggs in the same basket. Despite the short distance and costs with the US, we can't depend on just one market as we had before the revolution. In this new world, Asia is important, China, but also Vietnam and Japan are the countries with which we have to trade more."

From energy, to industry, to connecting people here with the world, China is set to play a wider role in the changes to Cuba's economy. The only question is how fast those changes take place. Joel Richards, CGTN, Havana.