Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Cuban President Raul Castro attend a signing ceremony for the cooperation agreements between China and Cuba, at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana on Saturday September 25, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has met with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana.

The meeting was followed by signings of around 30 agreements on economic cooperation in such areas as science, agriculture, industry, energy, public health and environmental.

Li Keqiang is the first Chinese premier to visit Cuba since the two countries established diplomatic relations 56 years ago.

The trip comes two years after President Xi Jinping's state visit to the Caribbean country.

China is Cuba's second largest trading partner following Venezuela. Bilateral trade reached $1.6 billion dollars in the first nine months of last year, up 57 percent year on year.　

The Chinese premier said that his trip aimed to deepen the two countries' relationship, forge new areas of economic cooperation and "intensify mutual political trust."

234