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HAVANA-Former Cuban President Fidel Castro, who has raised his public profile in recent days, met on Tuesday with a Chinese official and told him he spends his days gathering information and analyzing policy for Cuba's leadership,state-run media reported.After almost two years behind the scenes due to health problems, Castro has re-emerged in the past week with several high-level meetings and a spate of newspaper columns, including a biting blast at what he called the "enormous hypocrisy" of the European Union.Cuban television said Castro and China's top anti-graft official, He Guoqiang, had a "cordial and fraternal" meeting that included an invitation from He to the ailing 81-year-old to attend the upcoming Beijing Olympics.Castro, the report said, spoke of "the advances of the Chinese people" and the "importance of the concept of socialism with Chinese characteristics."He also spoke about his brother, Cuban President Raul Castro, and the reforms he has made since formally taking office in February aimed at making Cuba's state-run economy more productive.Castro's emergence, including the EU column, has raised questions about whether Castro was superseding his brother, whose foreign policy has been more measured, and about possible divisions within the government.But Tuesday's news report included a quote from Castro that made his role in Cuba's government appear limited."What do I do? I help in gathering news and data and doing analysis about the most important international problems, which I furnish to the leadership of the (Communist) Party and the state," he told He.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
