The Cuban regime is targeting China as its "clear partner" amid the ongoing crisis

While Cuba is experiencing one of its worst economic crises, the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel is intensifying its strategic alignment with China, which it describes as a “clear partner” in Latin America and the Caribbean in response to what it sees as a resurgence of imperialist policies from the United States.

From Beijing, the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla leads the official delegation from the communist island at the IV Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, where in an interview with Prensa Latina, he emphasized the geopolitical value of the Asian giant as a key player for a "more just international order" and an alternative to the "exclusive and dysfunctional current global system."

"Our region finds in China a clear partner, based on complementarity, mutual benefit, and respect for our culture and independence," Rodríguez emphasized as a compliment to someone who can be seen as a 'lifeline.'

China as an alternative to the U.S.

The Cuban chancellor insisted that the relationship with Beijing represents a different option compared to what he denounced as attempts by Washington to revive the Monroe Doctrine and "Manifest Destiny." In that context of overused phrases, China emerges as an economic, diplomatic, and symbolic ally in the so-called strengthening of the Global South.

The official stance was reinforced by the dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel, who held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow last Friday, during the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory against fascism.

In social media, Díaz-Canel described the meeting as "cordial" and reaffirmed the ties between both communist parties.

Cooperation in the China-CELAC Forum

The ministerial meeting in Beijing, which includes foreign ministers and regional leaders such as Lula da Silva (Brazil), Gustavo Petro (Colombia), and Gabriel Boric (Chile), aims to advance a common agenda of development, trade, and South-South integration.

The communist leader Rodríguez stated that the Forum was born “naturally in Havana” and represents a legitimate platform to articulate common interests in a world fragmented by tariff wars and structural crises.

The joint statement anticipates the strengthening of a multilateral cooperation mechanism focused on self-sufficiency, regional stability, and the collective voice of the Global South.

Cuban diplomacy presents itself as a promoter of that model, despite the stark contrast with the severe internal situation the country is experiencing, where families endure prolonged power outages and lack basic services.

An approach amid suspicion

This new momentum in relations with China comes amid recent reports about the possible presence of Chinese military bases in Cuban territory, in addition to the backdrop of the trade war between Washington and Beijing.

Although the regime presents this alliance as a way to resist external pressure, the local context reveals a Cuba plunged into an energy, health, and economic collapse, where the engagement with China could be seen both as a lifeline and as an ideological reaffirmation in times of increasing international isolation.

Frequently asked questions about the relationship between Cuba and China