The Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer published a video on his X account this Thursday, commenting on the welcome ceremony that Chinese President Xi Jinping held for Donald Trump in Beijing, and made a straightforward political observation: "This greatly annoys the Cuban communists."
Ferrer, founder and general coordinator of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), closely observed every detail of the reception and emphasized its symbolic significance: the leader who exerts the most pressure on the Havana regime was honored with state accolades by the regime's main ally.
The ceremony that prompted the comment was one of the most spectacular diplomatic events of the visit. Xi Jinping descended 39 red-carpeted steps to officially welcome Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, accompanied by a 21-gun salute and the performance of the American national anthem by a military band.
Hundreds of Chinese students dressed in bright clothing formed a procession of honor, waving flowers and flags of China and the United States, while a honor guard of the People’s Liberation Army marched in goose step with an officer carrying a sword.
Trump -in a dark suit and red tie- walked smiling alongside Xi and at one point during the ceremony, he gave a friendly pat on the arm. Tiananmen Square was completely cleared for the event.
The day concluded with a state banquet in the Grand Hall of the People, where Trump thanked China for their hospitality, referring to Xi as "my friend" and described the meeting as "probably the greatest summit in history."
For the opposition figure, the political significance of those images goes beyond bilateral diplomacy. He has systematically denounced that China is one of the pillars supporting Castroism in power, alongside Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Seeing Trump—whom Ferrer describes as "the main hope" of the Cuban people—welcomed with the utmost pomp by Beijing has, in his view, a dimension that directly unsettles Havana.
Trump's visit to China - the first by a sitting U.S. president to the Asian country in nearly nine years - is set against the backdrop of the trade détente that began following the truce agreed upon in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025, which suspended tariffs that had escalated to 145% from Washington and 125% from Beijing.
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