Castro called Deng, who died Wednesday, ``an illustrious son of the Chinese nation and one of its foremost leaders''. In a letter to President Jiang Zemin, Castro said Cuba recalled Deng's ``valiant contribution to the cause of construction and consolidation of socialism in China.''
Cuba also recalled with great ``respect and admiration his fight for the freedom and independence of his country,'' Castro said in his letter, quoted by the Prensa Latina news agency.
Cuban state television reported Deng's death as the first foreign news item, but not the main item, Wednesday night. The ruling Communist Party newspaper Granma reported the death on its back page -- traditionally the second most important page -- devoting its front page to the current Cuban sugar harvest.
Ties between Cuba and China were strained during the 1970s. Havana was closely allied with Moscow during the bitter ideological struggle between China and the Soviet Union.
But Castro visited China in 1995, capping years of improving relations, and showed a keen interest in the results of China's economic opening. Despite some cautious moves toward a market economy in recent years, Cuba's reforms have stopped well short of China's and Cuban authorities say Havana is not looking to copy anyone's model of adapting socialism.
11:29 02-20-97