Raúl begins official visit to China

Yaima Puig Meneses

BEIJING.—President Raúl Castro Ruz arrived in the People’s Republic of China in the afternoon of July 4, on his first official visit as the Cuban head of state.

He was welcomed at Beijing International Airport by First Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun, Cuban Ambassador Alberto Blanco and other Foreign Ministry officials, while two children presented him with a spray of flowers, receiving a smile of thanks from the President, before he presented the rest of the Cuban delegation, comprising Ricardo Cabrisas, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

After the welcoming ceremony, the convoy drove through Beijing, where modern skyscrapers mingled with other buildings characteristic of the architecture of China, a country of approximately 1.3 billion inhabitants. The tour included emblematic locations such as the Chinese People’s Palace, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, decorated with Cuban flags for the occasion.

Raúl’s last visit to China took place in 2005 when, in addition to meeting with senior leaders of government and the Chinese Communist Party, the Cuban delegation toured important urban development centers and areas designed to the promotion of cutting-edge technology.

The official welcoming ceremony takes place today, when the Cuban President will be received by the Chinese leader Hu Jintao at the People’s Palace, after a meeting with People’s National Assembly President Wu Bangguo. Events of the day include the signing of important documents related to economic and technical cooperation in the agricultural sector, as well as customs retraining agreements.