1st LD Writethru: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro here Sunday and the two exchanged views on bilateral ties, world peace, regional hotspot issues, food security and a wide range of other issues of common concern.

Li first conveyed the cordial greetings and good wishes of President Xi Jinping, other Chinese leaders and the Chinese people to Fidel Castro and extended congratulations for his 90th birthday.

President Xi, during his state visit to Cuba in 2014, met and held an in-depth discussion with Fidel Castro, said Li.

We cherish very much the traditional friendship between China and Cuba, and are willing to consolidate political mutual trust and expand cooperation with Cuba, and to enhance the friendly feelings between the two peoples, the premier said.

While noting that the world's political and economic landscape is currently experiencing complicated and profound adjustment, with old and new issues intertwined with each other and challenges emerging one after another, Li said, no matter how international situations change, China-Cuban relationship of comrade and brother, characterized by mutual respect, treating each other on an equal footing and staying together at all times, will not change.

Fidel Castro, for his part, extended congratulations to Li for his successful visit to Cuba, saying Cuba and China enjoy a profound friendship.

While noting that great changes have taken place in China since the two countries established diplomatic relations over 50 years ago, Fidel Castro said he is pleased to see the development China has achieved, and expressed admiration to the Chinese people for their diligence and unyielding spirit.

Describing the current world situations as complicated and ever changing, Fidel Castro said Cuba is willing to work with China to safeguard world peace and increase cooperation and communication.

The Chinese premier, accompanied by his wife Cheng Hong and senior Chinese officials, was in Havana as guest of President of the Cuban Council of State and Council of Ministers Raul Castro.

Li's trip to Havana is the first official visit to the Caribbean country by a Chinese premier since the two countries established diplomatic ties 56 years ago.

Referring to his meeting with Raul Castro on Saturday as fruitful, Li said the two countries have signed a series of cooperation agreements covering a wide range of fields.

Li said he and Raul Castro agree to inherit and carry forward the China-Cuba friendship, deepen pragmatic cooperation, focus on national development, support each other in taking a development path compatible with its own national conditions, and achieve common prosperity.

China is willing to work with Cuba to strengthen strategic communication and enhance coordination, so that the China-Cuba friendship and cooperation can not only benefit the two peoples, but also make contributions to world peace and development and the cause of human progress, the premier said.

On Colombia's peace process agreement, which was poised to be officially signed soon, Li hailed the crucial role Cuba has played in relevant process, adding that China highly praises Cuba for its act of shouldering international responsibility.

Concerning agriculture, Fidel Castro said Cuba attaches great importance to agricultural production, its sugar industry is very well-developed, and the country's grain production can meet its domestic demand, adding that Cuba is making more efforts to learn advanced agricultural technology from other countries and conduct more cooperation.

Fidel Castro said they have specially noticed that productivity can be improved through enhancing education for young people.

The revolutionary leader also expressed hopes that Cuba could increase communication with China in agricultural modernization and achieve win-win cooperation in this field. Endi