Raul Castro meets Xi's special envoy on advancing ties

HAVANA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Raul Castro, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), on Wednesday met with Song Tao, special envoy of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, on strengthening ties.

Song, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, conveyed Xi's message during the meeting, pledging that China will deepen its friendship with Cuba, promote mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, and advance relations between the two countries and two parties to a new level.

Castro, for his part, said the PCC paid great attention to the 19th CPC National Congress and highly values its significance and achievements, adding that the congress is not only important for China, but the world.

The PCC would like to promote exchanges with its Chinese counterpart, and compare notes to help upgrade Cuba's social and economic model, Castro said.

During Song's visit to the Caribbean island nation, which he kicked off on Sunday, the envoy also updated the Political Bureau of the PCC Central Committee on the 19th CPC National Congress, and met with Jose Ramon Balaguer, a member of the PCC Central Committee Secretariat and head of its International Relations Department.

On Tuesday, Song, along with his CPC delegation, visited an agricultural cooperative on the outskirts of Havana, as well as the Mariel Special Development Zone, a flagship project for economic development and foreign investment in Cuba. Enditem