Chinese President Hu Jintao (R3), accompanied by Raul Castro (L1), first vice-president of the Council of State of Cuba, visits Cuban Information Science University Nov. 23, 2004.

Red crowds of people, excited cheers, cordial smiles and ardent expectation all these came to gather at the Flag Square of Cuban Information Science University on the afternoon of November 23. Thousands of teachers and students, dressed in red T-shirts with the words "Cuba-China" printed on them and waving the national flags of China and Cuba, held a grand greeting convention for the visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao.

The scorching sun beat down amid the surging passion. At 4:45pm a car drove into the campus with President Hu Jintao in it and was greeted by students on either side of the road. The teachers and students who had already been waiting at the square broke into cheers. Many of them even stood on chairs with their heads raised and looked on while the motorcade came in. When Raul Castro, First Vice President of the Cuban Council of State and First Vice President of the Cuban Council of Ministers, accompanied President Hu Jintao on behalf of President Fidel Castro into the place, a military band played the famous song in praise of youth by Chinese western king singer Wang Luobin. Above the Flag Square applauses and convivial melody interacted and mingled.

The grand national anthems of China and Cuba marked the prelude of the greeting convention. The university president gave an ardent greeting speech and then invited President Hu Jintao to deliver a speech. Amid the enthusiastic applauses Hu Jintao walked onto the podium and said to all the teachers and students present: "I came from the distant east, from a friendly country - China. Information technology has narrowed the distance between us and ideal, faith and friendship have linked us together." Hu Jintao said he was very glad to be here to see Cuba's youngest university and expressed his gratitude to the teachers and students for their grand welcome. He said he felt deeply the profound friendship that the Cuban people have for the Chinese people.

Hu Jintao praised the Cuban government for its strategic insight in attaching high importance to training talents in information science and hoped that the teaching equipment provided by China might lend a helping hand. He said the youth are the future of a nation and the hope of the world. The Chinese government attaches great importance to strengthening the friendly exchange between the young people in China and Cuba, and to the exchange and cooperation in education area.

He said: "(I) hope that young friends in the two countries will take as their responsibility the relay of China-Cuba friendship torch, learn from each other, help each other forward and strive to promote the continued development of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries."

Later on Hu Jintao went to visit the university's model room. A piece of documentary titled Connecting the Future demonstrated to the guests the construction process and school running concept of the Information Science University. A large full-view sand table displayed the beautiful scene of the campus. The university, which is situated in west Havana and takes up a land of 268 hectares, was founded in 2002. It embodies the ideal of the Cuban people - to train talents in information science and develop information industry. As an important part of the hi-tech development strategy of the Cuban government the university gathers leading information teaching facilities and teacher body of Cuba. It is intended to make contribution to the national economic construction through software development and information services. What is worth noting is that the university is also the fruit of educational exchange and cooperation between China and Cuba. There are altogether 5,000 computers in the university, of which 4,400 are produced in China. What is more, the 1,000-odd TV sets installed in the school buildings are also made in China. After listening to the introduction on the school Hu Jintao agreeably wrote on the guest book the following words: "Developing information science, bringing benefit to the country and people".

Then President Hu Jintao went to the newly built teaching building to take a look at the computer lab. Hu Jintao came to a university student who is using a computer and watched as he scan for information on the school website. Seeing that a web page on China had been opened on the screen Hu Jintao asked with a smile: "Can you show me when was the last time I visited Cuba?." The student quickly input the search subject and then picked up the vita of President Hu Jintao, which led people present to smile. Before he left Hu Jintao said hospitably to the students: "Welcome you to China and to have a look." The university president followed by saying: "But you must first learn some Chinese."

As he was leaving the Information Science University teachers and students on both sides of the road leading from the Flag Square to the university gate waved national flags as they bid farewell to President Hu Jintao. The motorcade left behind it a red magnificent scene. People seemed to have seen that the friendship between the Chinese and Cuban people is passed on from generation to generation like a red torch shining on the future of the youth in the two countries.

By People's Daily Online