HAVANA, Sept 21 (Reuter) - Cuban President Fidel Castro on Sunday congratulated Jiang Zemin on his re-election as general secretary of China's ruling Communist Party and said his government would strive to bring the two nations closer.
``I take this ocassion to reiterate ... our will to continue working for the strengthening of existing ties and cooperation between both our parties and nations,'' Castro said in his message to Jiang published in the official Communist Youth newspaper, Juventud Rebelde.
The word ``fraternal'' is generally used to describe relations between the giant Asian nation with a population of over one billion and the Caribbean island Cuba of 11 million people.
China's party central committee on Thursday re-elected Jiang, 71, who is also state president. Jiang has already served eight years as head of the party.
Castro paid an official visit to China in late 1995. China's deputy prime minister, Li Lanquing, met with Castro in May in Havana. He announced that China would continue trade and cooperation with Cuba despite the U.S. Helms-Burton law which seeks to discourage trade and financial relations with Cuba. REUTER
12:46 09-21-97