President Xi Jinping paid a visit to the Cuban embassy in Beijing on Tuesday to mourn the passing of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, whom he called a "great friend of the Chinese people".

It was the first time that Xi has gone to a foreign embassy to express condolences for the passing of a foreign leader since he became president in 2013.

"We mourn with deep grief the Cuban people's excellent leader and the Chinese people's great friend, Comrade Fidel Castro," Xi wrote in the book of condolences. Castro, 90, who led the Cuban Revolution, died on Friday.