CHINA: Fidel Castro arrives in China

iafrica.com Posted Wed, 26 Feb 2003

Cuban President Fidel Castro met Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin in Beijing on Wednesday, as the two countries inked trade accords and aid agreements on the opening leg of a four-day trip.

Dressed in signature green military fatigues and cap, Castro (76) arrived at the Capital Airport aboard a Russian-made Ilyushin plane and was warmly greeted by a group of Chinese officials.

Later on Wednesday, the veteran Cuban leader held talks with Jiang after a formal welcoming ceremony in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

Castro told reporters he had enjoyed cordial talks with Jiang, who had asked him about the situation in Cuba.

"A minute ago, Comrade Jiang Zemin asked me about the situation in Cuba," Castro said.

"When I heard the question, I felt a little like chuckling, since when so many people ask me how things are in Cuba, the usual Cuban comrade would normally say 'very good.'

"Very few Cubans would say our system is only so-so or even bad. I had some reservations when I heard comrade Jiang Zemin raise the question, because China's situation is so good.

"But don't worry. I'll be frank. I really do feel our country's situation is excellent."

Jiang described the talks as "excellent" after an hour-long meeting which was followed by China signing an accord offering economic and technical assistance to Cuba.

China is Cuba's third most important trading partner after Venezuela, which provides the island with cheap oil, and Spain, which has hotel chains deeply invested in the tourism industry.

China took over as Cuba's main political and financial partner in the early 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The trade balance, however, clearly favours China. According to official figures here, in 2001 Cuba exported $70-million worth of goods to China, while it imported $547-million's worth.

Castro arrived from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, where he attended a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. He began his Asian trip with a three-day visit to Vietnam.

The visit to China is his first since late 1995.

He has developed close personal ties with Jiang, who visited Cuba in November 1993 and April 2001.

Talks between the two could be one of the last bilateral presidential meetings for Jiang, also 76, who is expected to step down as China's president in March after his second term is completed.