7-11-06,10:02am

Havana, July 11 (CAN).- China is ready to strengthen its relations with Cuba in all spheres, a top Chinese Communist Party official told Esteban Lazo, a member of Cuba's Communist Party Political Bureau on Monday, reported Prensa Latina.

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party, met with Lazo at the Great People's Palace early Monday.

The Cuban Party official is in Beijing since Sunday on the third leg of his Asian tour that also took him to Vietnam and Laos.

Li praised Cuba's successes in building socialism and recalled his visit to the island in July 2003 and the talks held in Havana with President Fidel Castro and other Cuban leaders.

After meeting with Li, Lazo visited the administrative offices of Chinese Radio, Television and Cinema, where he spoke with the institution's director, Wang Taihua. Wang and Lazo exchanged opinions on the use of the media in both countries as tools of information and education for their populations.

Lazo also met with Wang Jiarui, alternate member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and minister in charge of the International Department. The main topic of discussion was the development of bilateral relations between the two communist parties.

On Monday, Lazo paid a visit to the Museum of Urban Planning, where a huge scaled model shows the projected development of the Chinese capital through the year 2020.

Lazo ended his busy day with a meeting with Liu Yunshan, member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and the person in charge of the Publicity Department.[Granma]