On the fifth leg of a six-nation tour of Latin America, China's President Jiang Zemin arrived Thursday at Jose Marti International Airport, where he was greeted by President Fidel Castro. It marked the start of a planned four-day state visit by the leader of the world's most populous communist nation to the world's least populous communist nation. The two nations have a long history of friendship. Forty-one years ago, Castro's Cuba became the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic relations with China. Jiang, who is on the island to increase China's political and economic ties to Cuba, was received at the president's palace.
China follows only Canada, Spain and Russia as the leading source of Cuban imports.
It has sent the island nation millions of bicycles and televisions.