Farewell to a Forerunner

By+Yu+Lintao+&+Bai+Shi

Fidel Castro passed away at the age of 90 on November 25， after a lifetime of practicing socialist idealism and withstanding efforts by the United States to depose and demonize him. Though his governance of Cuba from 1959 to 2006 inspired mixed feelings abroad， history will admit him to its hall of titans who shaped the world. He is acknowledged as an unrelenting leader of the Cuban revolution and the founder of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Under Castros leadership， Cuba implemented a series of measures such as land reform， a nationwide literacy campaign， and the nationalization of factories， banks and oil refineries. It also provided free education and healthcare to the people and developed sports， culture and science. Cuba has achieved self-sustainability and witnessed steady economic and social development. Its education and medical services are among the best in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Castros new policies enjoyed strong popular support， especially among the poor， despite his image as a “dictator” in some countries.

While the current development of Cuba， especially its economy， indicates that Castros administration for nearly half a century was not entirely successful， it cant be denied that the revolution he led was progressive and during much of his time he embraced what he believed to be in the best interests of his country. His efforts for the betterment of his nation are respected and remembered by his countrymen.

Castros dedication to national liberation， safeguarding state sovereignty and building socialism struck a chord in China， where he was regarded as an old friend. With his support， Cuba became the first Latin American country to establish diplomatic ties with China in 1960.

However， his first visit to China took place in 1995， almost four decades later. There were several deterrents， mostly emanating from the United States. Since Washington supported Fulgencio Batista， the former Cuban president who seized power again after a coup， it adopted a hostile attitude toward Castros government. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency （CIA） assisted the remaining Batista forces in organizing a mercenary invasion in April 1961， which became known as the Bay of Pigs invasion. Castro reportedly survived some 600 CIA-backed assassination attempts.

Shortly after the founding of the Republic of Cuba， Washington cut diplomatic ties with Havana in January 1961. The United States also stopped sugar imports from Cuba， which hit the island hard since it depended greatly on the North American market. In retaliation， Cuba nationalized U.S. properties on its soil and the bad blood between the two adversaries continued till March this year when Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to visit the island since 1928. But despite the partial thaw， Havana continues to be constrained by U.S.-led economic and financial sanctions.

During his nine-day visit to China in December 1995， Castro savored Chinese culture， going to Xian， Shanghai， Shenzhen and Guangzhou. In Beijing， his itinerary included a special trip to the Great Wall. Castro kept in touch with Chinese leaders， meeting President Xi Jinping in July 2014， when he was reported as saying he cherished the memory of his friendly exchanges with China and believed the bilateral relationship would yield fruitful results. His last meeting with the Chinese leadership was with Premier Li Keqiang in Havana on September 25 this year， two months before his passing. Over the past 56 years， China and Cuba have witnessed profound development in bilateral ties， with their cooperation extending to a wide range of areas with deepening friendship between the two peoples.

Castro also made his mark on the global stage. As an internationalist， he promoted international justice， calling for the establishment of a new international order and pushing the development of the NonAligned Movement. Under him， Cuba sent medical， educational， sports and cultural staff to more than 120 countries around the world to improve peoples lives. Castros example has also inspired a new generation of Latin American political leaders in countries like Bolivia， Venezuela and Ecuador， where socialist practices are carried forward.