Raul Castro meets senior Chinese official

HAVANA - Cuban leader Raul Castro met a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Saturday afternoon and pledged to enhance communication between the two countries.

Guo Jinlong, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that over the past 53 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, China and Cuba have been offering understanding, sympathy and support to each other in building socialism, safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

"The two countries have in the process nurtured deep friendship between them," said Guo, who is also the party chief of Beijing Municipality.

The new Chinese leadership led by General Secretary Xi Jinping deeply cherishes such a kind of traditional friendship and will support the efforts of the Cuban party, government and people in the just cause of defending their state sovereignty and fighting against foreign intervention, Guo said.

In addition, China's leadership supports the Cuban party and government in exploring a socialist development path suitable to the country's own national conditions, he said.

In the future, China is ready to work with Cuba to deepen the traditional friendship between the two countries, expand practical cooperation in all areas, and push forward the continuous development of bilateral relations, he added.

Hailing the Cuba-China relations as being at their best time in history, Castro said Havana is ready to strengthen communication between the two countries over party building and state governance, and to jointly explore a path of socialist development suitable to their national conditions.

Earlier on Saturday, Guo met Mercedes Lopez Acea, vice president of the Cuban Council of State and first secretary of the Havana Provincial Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.

A CPC delegation led by Guo arrived here Thursday. He will also visit Brazil.