Originally published Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 9:40 AM
China's Hu extends credit, donations to Cuba
Chinese President Hu Jintao left Cuba Wednesday after visiting a frail-looking Fidel Castro and promising at least $78 million in donations, credit and hurricane relief to China's communist ally.
Associated Press Writer
Chinese President Hu Jintao left Cuba Wednesday after visiting a frail-looking Fidel Castro and promising at least $78 million in donations, credit and hurricane relief to China's communist ally.
A picture of Hu clasping hands with the 82-year-old former Cuban president topped the front page of the Communist Party newspaper Granma, above a picture of a grinning Hu shaking hands with Raul Castro, who replaced his elder brother in February.
China agreed to donate $8 million to Cuba and extend the second, $70 million phase of $350 million in previously agreed-upon credit to renovate Cuban hospitals. China also agreed to a five-year postponement of payments on $7 million in credit to Cuba from 1998, and delay until 2018 repayment of loans of undisclosed value from 1994 and 1995.
It is unclear if Beijing ever expects to be paid back.
China also agreed to buy Cuban nickel and sugar and provide food and roofing and housing materials to help Cuba recover from Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma. Hu also brought 4.5 million tons in humanitarian aid, and China committed to a plan to help renovate Cuban infrastructure, including crumbling ports and an earthquake detection system.
Suffering from an undisclosed illness in a secret location, Fidel Castro has not been seen in public since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006. In the picture, he is wearing a red and blue track suit, and his thin gray hair and wispy beard are combed back.
"I see in person that you have recovered and have been energetic, so I feel very pleased," Hu told Castro, according to Granma.
"We are old friends. I am happy to see that you are as energetic as when I met you last time," Castro responded.
Hu then left for the Asia-Pacific Cooperation summit in Peru.
"It was a good trip with good results," declared Raul Castro after seeing Hu off at the airport.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Nintendo re-enlists Mario, savior of video-game industry
Verizon-Frontier deal stirs concern among consumers
Brier Dudley: 'Guitar Hero' founder excited about future
Gaps for consumers in Democrat health care bills
Hutch gets $10M from Bezos family for immunotherapy research

PNW Magazine | Easy As Pie
A little friendly competition between professional pie-baker Kate McDermott and The Seatttle Times' Kathleen Triesch Saul is handled with great taste.
Follow seattletimes.com on Twitter
Get the top stories on-the-go by following seattletimes.com on Twitter. We'll tweet the news and information you need around the clock and keep you up-to-date no matter where you are. Go to www.twitter.com/seattletimes to sign up now.
nwautos
Local riders say they've seen a surge in scooter interest in recent years, mostly from people wanting another commuting option. Seattle now ranks as o...
Post a comment
nwjobs
Post a comment
Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Do you suffer from "sitting disease"?
Post a comment
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Snow piles up on Cascade slopes
- Denny Triangle gains skyline, but tenants slow to come
- Illegal workers quietly let go
374 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
210 - Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
171 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
156 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
98 - Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
95 - Tattoos at Mill Creek Church pierce skin, soul
83 - Middleton says Huskies "plan on scoring at least 50 points'' Saturday
82 - Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
74 - Seattle woman charged with knife attack on boyfriend's ex
66
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit





