Chinese and Cuba agree on bilateral trade
CUBA; President Hu Jintao began a two-day visit to Cuba by
agreeing to increase Chinese purchases of Cuban nickel and sugar, and
send farm goods to the communist-run island as it recovers from three
devastating storms.
Hu arrived in Cuba late Monday on the second leg of a Latin American
tour that comes as China expands its diplomacy and investments in the
resource-rich region. Earlier, the Chinese leader announced the start of
free trade talks with Costa Rica in January.
Even as Cuban state television broadcast images of Hu arriving at
Havana’s airport, it was already announcing the signing of the trade and
investment accords. The governments were expected to sign more economic
agreements during his visit.
The much-needed investment comes just weeks after Cuba’s farm sector
and economy was devastated by Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma, which
did more than $10 billion in combined damage. Cuban media did not give a
monetary value for the latest agreements.
“For half a century, the Cuban people have accomplished great
successes in safeguarding state sovereignty, national economic
development and a better quality of life,” Hu said in a statement. “We
sincerely hope that the Cuban people continue to make new advances in
building socialism.”
Hu, who was accompanied by a large delegation of Chinese businessmen,
was met at the airport by Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura and
a throng of Chinese residents who waved tiny Cuba and Chinese flags. Hu
last came to Cuba in 2004, when he met with Fidel Castro. The ailing,
82-year-old has not been seen in public since undergoing emergency
intestinal surgery in July 2006 and there was no word on whether China’s
president would meet with him this time.
Hu was expected to see Fidel’s younger brother Raul, who took over as
Cuba’s president in February.
The Chinese president was scheduled to visit a Havana school for
Chinese students on Tuesday and Cuba’s government scheduled an
accord-signing ceremony at the Palace of the Revolution in the evening.
China has transformed its economy by embracing market reforms, even
as its Communist Party has continued to maintain strict control over the
political system. Raul Castro is said to be an admirer of the Chinese
economic reform model, though top Cuban officials have said they have no
interest in implementing such policies in this country.
Havana,Monday, AP |