Castro meets senior Chinese Communist party member

HAVANA, Jan 14 (Reuter) - President Fidel Castro has met Hu Jintao, a senior member of China's Communist Party who is on a visit to Cuba, state media reported on Tuesday.

Castro, who visited China in November 1995, attended a Chinese embassy reception Monday night for Hu, a member of the party politubro's permanent committee. The Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma gave no details of what the two discussed.

Hu held talks on Monday with senior Cuban figures including deputy president Carlos Lage.

He travelled Tuesday to the eastern province of Matanzas to inspect sugar mills and tourist facilities, the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina said. He was scheduled to leave Wednesday for Mexico.

18:49 01-14-97