In the afternoon of November 22, 2004, Chinese President Hu Jintao who just arrived in Havana for a state visit to Cuba held talks with Fidel Castro, President of the Council of States and the Council of Ministers of Cuba. They both expressed satisfaction with the constantly developing ties between the two countries and decided to make joint efforts to further expand the friendly and reciprocal cooperation between the two countries.

Hu Jintao said to Castro that looking back the 44 years since China and Cuba established diplomatic ties, the relations between our two countries have gone through the test of international changes. We have been always helping and been candid to each other. We two countries are friends and brothers. Developing friendly relations between China and Cuba is not only in the basic interest of the people of the two countries, but also helpful to maintain world peace and promote common development.

Hu Jintao said that in order for the friendly relations to keep developing, we propose: 1. Strengthening exchanges and promoting the long-term stable development of the friendly cooperation between the two countries in all areas. Full advantage should be taken of the existing political consultations and the mechanism of the Joint Committee on Economy and Trade and the Joint Committee on Science and Technology. Exchanges between the governments, congresses and political parties of the two countries should be maintained and expanded. Civil societies, higher learning universities and institutes of the two countries are encouraged to establish direct contacts. Exchange activities such as culture month or culture week could be held in each other's country to promote learning from each other. 2. Deepening reciprocal cooperation and giving strategic priority to bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Cuba is rich in tourism resources, advantageous in developing ocean aquaculture and quite advanced in biotechnology. All these can be the favorable conditions for our two countries to conduct cooperation and make investment. We can expand our way of thinking as well as the fields for cooperation and facilitate common development. 3. Strengthening consultation and coordination in international affairs, jointly maintaining the just right and interests of developing countries and contributing to world peace and development.

Castro said that he had been highly interested in China's development in all fields and read many documents on China. He is very pleased with China's rapid growth and the rapid development of Cuba-China cooperation. He fully agreed to Hu Jintao's proposals.

The two heads of state exchanged views on further strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Castro especially mentioned that since the year 2000 Cuba has purchased 1.3 million color TV sets from China which are of high quality and he hopes to import another 1 million. Hu Jintao said that China will support Cuba through providing buyer credit.

The two heads of state briefed each other on their own domestic economic and social development. Hu explained that the Chinese government has brought forward the scientific concept of people-oriented, comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development. He stressed that China will maintain the sustained, rapid, harmonized and healthy development of the national economy and keep improving the living standards and life quality of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. Castro showed great interest in this, carefully listened to the remarks and raised questions on some issues from time to time.

After the meeting the two heads of state were both present at the signing ceremony of a number of bilateral cooperation documents including a agreement on phytosanitary cooperation, a memorandum of understanding on biotechnology cooperation, an agreement on economic and technological cooperation and an agreement on educational exchanges.

On the evening that day, President Hu attended the grand welcome banquet hosted by Castro. Present were also Secretary Wang Gang of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and other accompanying officials and Vice President of the Council of State and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers of Cuba Carlos Lage Davila.