Fausta’s Blog

During his trip to Cuba Hu Jintao had a photo-op with Fidel, according to the official Chinese news service, and both Communists appear to be fond of the word “energetic” – perhaps inspired by the red and black warm-up suit Fidel wore for the ocasion:

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday visited Fidel Castro, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, in Havana.

The two leaders warmly shook hands, exchanged greetings and had a long conversation in a sincere and friendly atmosphere.

Hu said he was delighted to see Castro again. The comrades of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China “have all cared about your health and I brought their sincere greetings to you,” he said.

“I see in person that you have recovered and have been energetic so I feel very pleased,” he told Castro.

Castro extended a warm welcome to Hu for his second state visit to Cuba. “We are old friends. I am happy to see that you are as energetic as when I met you last time,” he said.

I prefer the Jerusalem Post’s headline, China’s president reportedly meets Fidel Castro.

Fidel’s got a new combover and maybe a new brand of hair gel that has changed his hair to straight and flat. At least he appears to have given up on hair dye.

How’s Castro doing? Only the Cuban government knows.

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UPDATE
Breitbart has the video:

The Breitbart article gives more information,

The Chinese leader brought 4.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid for victims of three hurricanes that battered Cuba this year, which was handed over late Monday after Hu’s arrival at the Jose Marti International Airport.

Receiving the gift, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Rodrigo Malmierca said that Cuba “deeply appreciates the visit of President Hu Jintao, at the exact moment the country is struggling to recover and continue its development.”

It was the third donation China has made to assist Cuba in its recovery from hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma, which caused 10 billion dollars worth of damages in the space of two months. Hurricane aid from the Chinese government and businesses has totalled more than 2.5 million dollars.
…
Hu’s visit comes less than two weeks before the arrival of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in another Russian bid to fortify relations with outspoken US adversaries in Latin America on the back of a trip to Venezuela.

China offered key support to former Cuban leader Fidel Castro when Cuba fell into dire economic straits after the former Soviet Union collapse, forging a divide which Russia has recently sought to reduce.

Current deals include Chinese oil prospecting and extraction in Cuba — onshore and offshore — and two Cuban eye hospitals in China and a third under construction.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 9:15 am and is filed under Blog Talk Radio, Caribbean, China, Communism, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Latin America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.