Related videos:
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, reiterated on Thursday Beijing's strong support for Havana and demanded that Washington immediately lift the embargo, sanctions, and any form of coercive pressure against Cuba, in a statement released by the Chinese ambassador to the island, Hua Xin, via the social network X.
"United States intensifies its illegal unilateral sanctions against Cuba, which severely violates the rights of the Cuban people to survival and development, and seriously contradicts the fundamental norms of international relations," stated Lin Jian.
"China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and national security, resolutely opposes interference in Cuba's internal affairs, and urges the United States to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba, as well as any form of coercion and pressure," he added.
The statement comes days after President Donald Trump signed, on May 1, a executive order that expands sanctions against the Cuban regime, blocking assets of individuals linked to repression and applying secondary sanctions to foreign financial institutions that operate with the designated individuals.
Since January 2025, the Trump administration has imposed over 240 sanctions against Cuba, measures that have reduced the island's energy imports by between 80% and 90%, leading to blackouts of up to 25 hours a day in more than 55% of the national territory.
The Intelligence Unit of The Economist projects an economic contraction of 7.2% for Cuba in 2026.
The Chinese support also responds to the accusations made on April 28 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who reported that Cuba hosts at least 12 signals intelligence facilities operated by China in four locations: Bejucal, El Wajay, Calabazar, and El Salao.
"We will not allow any foreign military, intelligence, or security apparatus to operate with impunity just 90 miles off the coast of the United States," Rubio warned.
China categorically rejected these accusations. On April 29, Lin Jian described the Chinese-Cuban cooperation as "completely legitimate, transparent, and in accordance with international law" and accused Washington of fabricating pretexts to justify the embargo.
Beijing's support for Havana is not limited to words. In January 2026, President Xi Jinping approved an emergency aid package of 80 million dollars and 60,000 tons of rice to address the electricity and food crisis.
In March, a ship unloaded 15,600 tons of Chinese rice at the port of Havana, in what once again became rice donations showcasing Beijing's material support to the regime.
In that same month, the foreign ministers Wang Yi and Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla agreed to formally elevate the bilateral ties between both countries, consolidating an alliance that Beijing has intensified alongside the escalating U.S. pressure on the island.
The spokesperson Lin Jian has issued statements of support for Cuba on at least five occasions since February, and China has repeatedly urged the United States to lift the sanctions.
Beijing estimates that the accumulated damages from the U.S. embargo on Cuba exceed 170.677 billion dollars.
Filed under: