Visiting top Chinese lawmaker Li Peng said in Havana on Sunday during his meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro that China will provide assistance to Cuba for combatting the ongoing Hurricane Michelle that is sweeping the island country.
Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People' s Congress (NPC), expressed sympathy and solidarity with the Cuban people who are suffering from the natural disaster, on behalf of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, the NPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people, as well as in his own name.
He said he believes that the heroic Cuban people will overcome the disaster and minimize the losses under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Cuban government headed by Castro.
The assistance promised by Li will be added to another non- reimbursable assistance to Cuba as provided for in an agreement signed in Havana earlier Sunday.
Extending warm welcome to Li, the Cuban president said that he is grateful to the Chinese government and the Chinese people, whose help "is a great encouragement to the Cuban people." He expressed confidence that the Cuban people will overcome the difficulties, he added.
On the issue of bilateral ties, the top Chinese lawmaker said that over the past few years, new progress has been made in the development of the China-Cuba relations while remarkable achievements have been scored in bilateral cooperation in all fields. The successful visit of President Jiang Zemin to Cuba in April has brought broad new prospects to the development of bilateral relations, he said.
"China stands by Cuba in its just struggle against foreign interference and threats and for the safeguard of its independence and sovereignty," Li said. He reiterated that China is willing to work with the Cuban side for further strengthening the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in all aspects.
Expressing satisfaction over the development of relations between the two countries, Castro said Cuba attaches great importance to its ties with China, hoping to extend cooperation to all areas.
He spoke highly of the fact that China continues to record a rapid and sustainable development despite difficulties in the world economy.
On anti-terror issue, Li said the Chinese government has been consistently and firmly opposed to terrorism in all forms.
Anti-terror actions should be based on hard evidence and have definite targets so as to avoid innocent civilians' casualty, he said. These actions must comply with tenets and principles of the UN Charter as well as norms of international law while the due role of the UN Security Council should be brought into play to this effect, he added.
Anti-terror efforts should be conducive to the long-term peace and development of the regions concerned and the world at large, Li pointed out.
Condemning the September 11 terror attack on the United States, Castro said Cuba is firmly opposed to international terrorism.
Meanwhile, he said, Cuba opposes the use of military means for solving issues of terrorism, saying that war will not only fail to solve such issues, but will also inevitably hurt innocent people.
Li is on the second day of his five-day visit to Cuba.
(Chinadaily November 5,2001)
